Variations in the Key of Luke
by Eledgy
Summary: The 'right thing' was what Luke Danes had always tried to do, even when it meant leaving his hometown for five long years. But maybe Luke's 'right thing' has been in Stars Hollow all along. What gets set in motion, by his simple act of finally coming home? (AU, pre-series)
1. Chapter 1

**Preface: Home Again**

As he pulled off the highway and onto the road towards Stars Hollow, Luke slowed the rental car and pushed the power buttons to lower the windows. The early morning rain had given way to a weak sunshine, and the air that rushed into the car was sweet and smelled of home. Five years since he'd been in Stars Hollow. Five years of the highest highs and the lowest lows, with most days somewhere in between. Now that he was almost there, it was hard to believe he had been away so long.

The rental car with automatic buttons, as well as his khaki pants with a button-down shirt, felt foreign to him in this place. But the smell of spring in the air, the turn in the road, the old Murphy farm on the right – this was home. Luke breathed in deeply and a sense of calm and contentment settled over him. Sleepy, crazy town that he had left only once in his life, with every intention of coming back sooner than five years.

He took a right instead of heading straight into town, to go past the old house. He slowed to a crawl. It looked okay. The lawn was recently mowed, the paint just a little faded. The sublease was coming due at the end of June, which was reason number 436 why he had finally come back. He thought about stopping but as a rush of memories flooded in, of his Mom and Dad and all of them together here in the early years, he wasn't sure he could handle getting out just yet.

Slowly he drove closer to the center of town. The church steeple came into view, then the gazebo. There was Doose's, and Miss Patty's. Kim's Antiques, that was new. Or at least less than five years old. Luke circled again, avoiding looking at what his heart most ached to see, until he turned around the green a second time.

It was still there, the sign. Williams Hardware. Even though he had stipulated in the lease agreement that it was not to be taken down, part of him had wondered and worried that somehow the town might have found a way around it, to get a new sign with a new name on it. He pulled up to the curb and parked. A True Value sign was affixed to the window of the front door, but Williams Hardware still stretched across the top. His father's store, his store, or maybe his something else, and maybe someday…

"Daddy?" Robbie's sleepy voice jerked him from his reverie. He looked back and smiled as his little boy rubbed his eyes and stretched his legs.

"Yeah buddy?"

"Are we there yet?"

"Yup, little guy. We're here. We're home."


	2. Still Friendly After All These Years

**Still Friendly After All These Years**

**_Tuesday, April 14, 1992_**

Luke opened the door and got out of the car, taking a moment to stretch after the long drive from JFK. He reached back in and retrieved his wallet from the console and slipped it into his pants pocket. He walked around the back of the car to the sidewalk and opened the back door to get Robbie from the booster seat. He held the sleepy boy briefly in his arms but the four year old soon began wiggling, eager to see the sights. Luke put him down on the sidewalk, but kept a tight grip on his hand. They stood together, facing the building.

"It doesn't look like a house. It looks like a store."

"It is a store. This was Grandpa William's hardware store."

"Grandpa William is dead."

"That's right. He was my dad."

"Grandpa Joe is alive. He lives in Florida."

"That's right too. Mommy's dad and Mommy's mom used to live here in Stars Hollow but now they live in Florida."

"What's hardware?" Robbie asked.

"Hammers and nails, and things for building and fixing."

"It looks dark."

"That's because it's not open anymore."

"Why not?"

"Not enough customers. Bob Turcotte, the man I rented it too, closed it up last fall and opened a new store in another town."

"Is it our store now?"

"It is."

"Can we go in?"

"Yes, but we have to get the keys first." Luke walked up the steps and tested the door, just to make sure this was true. The door was locked. He peered into the door and saw half-empty shelves, and drop cloths over the register area.

"Daddy, I need to pee."

"Oh, okay. Let's go get the key to the store, and find a bathroom."

Luke headed down the block toward Weston's Bakery, Robbie in tow. He stepped in the door and was assailed by more familiar smells – butter, sugar, and coffee. He'd loved Weston's as a boy, but when he was a teen he had felt all hands and feet among the lace curtains, delicate teacups, and tippy café tables. Robbie felt no such awkwardness, drifting as if pulled by a magnet towards the cases of gleaming fruit tarts, iced cakes, and cookies. Fran, coming out from the kitchen, eyed him with a small smile. Checking automatically for the attached adult, she saw Luke and her smile broadened.

"Luke. You're back."

Luke stepped forward to kiss her cheek and she pulled him into a brief hug. "Let me look at you! My, you look wonderful- is it possible you grew even taller?" Luke shrugged, once again flashing back to the awkward teen years, when every adult encounter seemed to lead to comments about his size.

"And is this Robbie? Sweet little baby Robbie? All grown up too?" Robbie pulled his eyes away from the glories of the pastry case and came over to Luke and Fran.

"Robbie this is Mrs. Weston. She owns this bakery and is an old friend of mine."

"Hello," Robbie said, holding Luke's hand but meeting Fran's gaze directly.

"Hello Robbie. It's so nice to meet you. I've only ever seen your picture before." She glanced back at Luke. "Thank you for sending a photo with the Christmas card every year – so lovely of you to still think of us."

"Of course." Luke looked down at Robbie, who was pulling on his hand.

"Dad," he whispered. Luke bent down to hear him. "I have to pee."

"Oh, right." Luke glanced at Fran and gestured towards the bathrooms, then led Robbie that way.

When they came out few minutes later, Fran was waiting with sugar cookies nestled in napkins, one in each hand. "Cookies for my boys." Robbie practically quivered with joy as he glanced at Luke for permission and then reached for one of the cookies. Fran smiled at his gusto and held the other one out to Luke. He hesitated for just a second, then took the cookie and tasted it.

"Still the best ever, Fran."

She smiled, patting his cheek just as she had when he was a boy, and then patted Robbie on the head, smiling fondly at his face already covered in crumbs. "Oh, it's so good to have you both here. And where is your lovely wife? Where's Rachel?"

"She's still in Brazil, finishing up an assignment in the rain forest."

"Oh – such a one for adventure! And such stunning photos she takes. We're all so proud of our Stars Hollow girl, whenever another story comes out. Will she be back here soon too?"

"Not sure, Fran."

"It will be so wonderful to have you all back. You are back for good, aren't you?"

"For now. Not sure about for good."

"Daddy." Robbie was whispering again. Luke bent down to hear him.

"Can I have another cookie?"

"Here, you can finish mine."

"But I wanted one of the chocolate stripey ones."

"Nope – this is what I've got. Take it or leave it."

Robbie pouted, but reached for the cookie nonetheless. Fran started to get one with chocolate stripes but Luke stopped her with a small shake of his head.

"Hey, Fran, do you have the keys to the store?"

"Oh, yes. Well, I have one set. Bob gave his to Taylor when he closed up."

Luke immediately bristled. "Taylor Doose? Why?"

"Well, Taylor is Town Selectman now you know..."

Luke rolled his eyes.

"..and he insisted on doing a final inspection, after Bob left, so he asked him for the keys, and somehow never got around to giving them back to me."

"Somehow," Luke said sarcastically.

"Well, anyway, let me go get the set I have."

Luke ran his hand over tired eyes, and glanced over at Robbie, once again pressed against the pastry case. "Daddy, I want one of the chocolate ones."

"Not right now, it's almost time for lunch."

"For after lunch?" he wheedled.

"Nope. You already got to have dessert before lunch, you don't need another one after."

Robbie pouted, and turned back longingly to the cookies. Luke began to pace, impatient for Fran to come back before Robbie's brewing meltdown became unstoppable. Finally she came back, handing him the keys on his father's old key ring. Luke had left these with Fran as the spares, giving his own set to Bob for day-to-day operations. He fingered the old ring, missing his dad. Luke had a feeling that the next few weeks and months were going to be hard, immersing himself back in the physical space and objects that were so much a part of his dad. Harder than he thought. He cleared his throat. "Thanks, Fran," he said gruffly.

"You're welcome, Luke. Lovely to have you home, even if it's just for a while."

Luke stooped to give her another kiss on the cheek. "It's amazing to finally be back." He squatted down next Robbie. "Come on buddy, time to go get lunch."

"No. I don't want lunch. I want a chocolate cookie."

"I already said no to that, but we'll come back another day and visit Fran and get a chocolate cookie then. Let's go."

"No." Robbie plunked down in front of the case, crossing his legs and arms, a scowl on his face. Luke glanced at Fran apologetically. She smiled in sympathy and moved back behind the counter, giving him space to deal with his recalcitrant son. "Come on, Robbie, we've got a lot to do this afternoon before we go to the Inn. Say goodbye and thank you to Mrs. Weston."

Robbie cast sad eyes at Fran and muttered, "Thank you. Bye." He looked again at the cookie case and his lower lip began to tremble.

"Oh geez. Come on." Luke scooped Robbie up and headed out the door. Robbie began to struggle against him and really cry. With one more look of mixed apology and exasperation back at Fran, he headed out the door. Standing on the steps, Luke paused to readjust the weight in his arms. Robbie suddenly reared his head and arched his back, causing Luke to nearly drop him, and almost head-butting a young woman heading into Weston's. "Robbie!" Luke said sharply. "Sorry," he said to the woman. She smiled sympathetically and headed inside. All of a sudden Robbie went limp, another favorite tactic. This time Luke loosened his grip and let Robbie slip down his body and land in a heap on the stoop. Robbie sobbed wildly. Luke squatted down, trying to wait him out. Gradually Robbie's sobs subsided, and he sat up and began to wipe his nose and eyes with his sleeves. Luke gave him another minute to calm down, then held out his hand. Robbie crossed his arms once again, and stubbornly shook his head. Luke finally lost his patience. "Robert William Danes, you do not want to make me carry you down the streets of Stars Hollow kicking and screaming." Robbie looked up at his glowering dad, some fear creeping in under his scowl. But still he didn't move. Just then, the young woman came back out of the bakery, holding a coffee cup and a small bag. "Whoops," she said, as she almost stepped on Robbie and reared back to keep her balance on the threshold.

Before Luke could apologize again the young woman said in a cheerful voice, "What have we got here, a sit-in in Stars Hollow?"

Robbie scowled more fiercely and lowered his chin towards his chest. She stepped to one side of Robbie and stood on the sidewalk next to Luke, who turned to her and said "I'm sorry – we seem to be having a sugar-inspired meltdown."

"Don't worry. Been there, done that." She glanced toward Robbie, and back at Luke "He's five?" she asked quietly.

"In a few months."

"May I?" she asked, indicating the stoop next to Robbie. Luke nodded, and moved away a step or two to calm down and think about his next move. "So what are we protesting?" asked the woman. Robbie looked up at her, still slightly scowling. "I mean, why don't we want to leave Fran's? I guess I should say, I know why _I _don't want to leave Fran's, I would live here if I could, but why don't you want to leave?"

"I want another cookie and Daddy won't let me."

"Aw! Mean daddy!" She glanced at Luke and winked. "He didn't let you have one little cookie?"

"I had one. And a half," Robbie admitted grudgingly.

"What kind?"

"Vanilla, not chocolate."

"Mm, one of Fran's sugar cookies. Fran's sugar cookies are the best. They're my daughter's favorite." At the mention of another child Robbie looked around. "Where's your daughter?" he asked.

"Oh, she's in school. She's a big second grader. But she still loves Fran's sugar cookies."

Luke raised his eyebrows slightly. She didn't look nearly old enough to have a daughter in second grade. Then again, some people thought he was a little young to have a four-year-old. The woman was still talking sympathetically to Robbie. "So if you got one and a half of Fran's fabulous sugar cookies why are you so sad?"

"I wanted a chocolate one too. I said it could be for later!" he added indignantly.

"But Daddy said no?" The woman glanced at Luke again and smiled. He couldn't help smiling back. It was fascinating to watch this stranger winning over his stubborn son.

"He said it was time for lunch and I already had my dessert first."

"Yeah that's what I tell my daughter, sometimes. But one day a week, on my day off, which is today by the way, I have cookies for lunch."

Luke frowned a little. Robbie looked up at her cautiously. "You do?"

"Yup," the woman said proudly. "And on Saturdays, Rory's day off, that's my daughter, she has cookies for lunch."

"Really?" Robbie asked. Luke raised his eyebrows again.

"Really," the woman said breezily. "Right now, it's all we can afford. All week long we eat regular food, but once a week we save our pennies for cookies and coffee from Fran's." She held up her bag and cup. "Later, when we get rich, we're going to have cookies for every meal. Cookies for breakfast, cookies for lunch, cookies for dinner."

Robbie looked at her intently. "You can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"You'll get sick! Your body needs all kinds of food, to be healthy and strong."

"Really?" The woman looked sad. "But it's our dream."

"Nobody can eat sugar all the time. Your tummy would hurt."

"True. And you know what I've noticed? On the days I have cookies for lunch, I'm always extra hungry for dinner. Do you think that's why?"

"Probably." Robbie said, nodding wisely.

"How about you? You must be hungry for lunch by now, aren't you?" Robbie felt his tummy.

"I am."

"What are you going to have?"

"Cheese sandwich?" Robbie looked up at Luke hopefully. Luke smiled and nodded and reached out his hand. Robbie stood up and took it.

"Thank you..." Luke said.

"Lorelai. I'm Lorelai. And you're very welcome." She smiled and held out her hand.

"Luke. And this is Robbie."

"Nice to meet you, Luke, nice to meet you Robbie."

"Nice to meet you as well. And really, thanks. It's good to know this town is still friendly and helpful, not just crazy."

Lorelai smiled. "So you're not new here?"

"Nope, but newly back."

"Well, I think this town is nice. And you must like something about it too if you're back." She smiled once more and sipped her coffee. "Okay I better get going and enjoy my favorite lunch of the week." She winked at Robbie, who snuggled against Luke and grinned at her. She started to walk away, then turned back. "I've got a book recommendation for you two," she said, "_Bread and Jam for Frances_. Check it out, you'll like it." And with another grin, she walked away.

Robbie pulled on Luke's hand. "I'm hungry."

"Okay bud, let's go get lunch." Luke looked down the street towards the grocery store. "And one more set of keys," he added wearily.


	3. Still Crazy After All these Years

Time for an **Author's Note**! I was being all mysterious and quiet, letting the beginning of the story speak for itself...yada yada yada. But now it's time for me to yammer on for a bit.

_**Inspiration ~ **_The idea for this story came after one of _many_ re-reads of Kinofille's classic AU, _Variation on a Theme_. I love that story so much: I know many of you do as well. If you haven't read it, be forewarned that it is unfinished, and be further forewarned that only 3 chapters are posted here. She posted up to about Chapter 16 at the since-expired BWR, I believe: far enough that you knew how it was going to end, all happy and such, but not far enough that you weren't still wishing to see exactly how she, brilliant author that she is, would do it. Anyway, even three chapters will give you a good idea of just how great that story is.

So what I'm _humbly_ working on here is a variation of my own. A variation in the key of Luke, if you will. :-) This story is evolving into something quite different, I'm told by my trusty beta, but the central question is the same: what happens when you've been denying some key part of yourself, in order to do the "right thing"? In this variation, it's Luke instead of Lorelai who made that choice some years before, and who is now returning to Stars Hollow to see if he can't have something of his own.

_**Expectations ~ **_It should be clear by now that this is a Luke-centric story! It will remain in his POV throughout, and the early chapters in particular wiill be very Luke-heavy. Lorelai is there from the beginning, as you saw in Chapter 2, and rest assured she will be there in the end, but it will be some time before anything romantic develops. There are a few issues to be resolved, shall we say, before any of _that_ can happen. So buckle in, it's a long one! (12 chapters and counting: my guess is it will go at least 25 chapters).

_**Appreciation ~ **_Some thanks are overdue. To **lulu1960**, for your early encouragement of the idea. Your assurances helped me take the plunge. And to **deepfriedcake**, my patient, persistent beta: you are the perfect combination of unflaggingly positive support, hard-nosed editing of extraneous commas and words I love too much, and tough love; the latter best illustrated by this from an email in response to an opening chapter: "If you don't finish this story, I will hunt you down."

* * *

**_(still) Tuesday, April 14, 1992_**

"Lucas! Wonderful to see you!"

Taylor Doose's smile seemed genuine and his handshake was hearty, much to Luke's surprise.

"Taylor," he replied simply.

"And who is this?"

"This is my son Robert. Robbie, this is Mr. Doose."

"Hello." Robbie held out his hand, and Taylor smiled as he shook it.

"Nice to meet you, young man. Good to have you and your Dad here in town. Are you staying, Luke?"

"Don't know yet, Taylor," Luke answered, his tone slightly clipped.

Taylor frowned. "When will you know? And what are you doing about the store? It's not good for the town for a prime business location to remain closed for this long period of time. It's only right that you make a decision soon, Luke."

"Taylor – please," Luke said, his exasperation rising. "I haven't even unlocked the door yet. I understand you still have the keys?"

"Oh, yes, sorry about that. I never did get them back to Fran, did I? But would you like me to keep them, just in case? Always best to have a set of spares with someone you can trust."

"Yes, that's true," Luke said, and held out his hand.

Taylor looked sharply at him, and opened his mouth to say something. Instead, he shook his head and, clucking his tongue, headed to the back room.

Luke shook his head in turn. "Same old town, same old crazy people." He looked down at Robbie. "Okay, bud, let's pick out some lunch. Cheese sandwiches?"

"Yes!"

Taylor came out with the keys while Luke and Robbie were still shopping. Soon enough they were heading for the register. "Where are we going to eat Daddy?"

"What do you say we have a picnic, out in the gazebo?"

"What's a gazebo?"

"I'll show you."

Sitting on the steps of the gazebo with the sun fully out, Luke began to relax a bit. Despite the memories assailing him and the uncertainty of where and whether to stay, the familiarity of the town was soothing. He tore off chunks of bread and filled them with cheese and tomatoes, sliced with his Swiss Army knife. As they ate, he let the worries drop away and watched his son instead.

Robbie ate with great concentration as always, intent both on filling his stomach and enjoying his food. Luke thought of all the different kinds of food his son had eaten in his short lifetime, and felt blessed to have not been burdened with a picky eater. Europe, Africa, South America – wherever they were one of the first priorites was to get to know the food. Bread, cheese and tomatoes were a first-day staple. Luke had actually read that in a baby book once, that if you had a kid that liked those three items, you could find something to eat anywhere in the world. It was a weird thing to find in a baby book, he had thought, but it had proven to be true. Wherever they were and wherever they went, however exotic–seeming the local cuisine, he could always start Robbie out with a bowl of pasta and tomato sauce, or French bread and brie, or the variations on flat bread and tomato salsa to be found both in Kenya and Brazil, oddly enough. It felt good to be back home and keep up the tradition of their opening meal.

Once his initial hunger was satisfied, Robbie picked his head up and looked around. "I like this place," he said.

"Yeah, me too," Luke agreed.

"What are we doing after lunch?"

Luke was itching to get inside the store, but just as hunger was the trigger for his son's infrequent meltdowns, so was fatigue. Robbie had only fallen asleep during the last half hour of the drive from New York, so Luke was pretty sure he would need his usual afternoon nap. But even when exhausted, Robbie fought sleep, so Luke knew he had to have a book to ease the way. He wasn't sure if the airplane books would hold up, and deciding not to risk it, thought of the bookstore.

"Well, now that we have the keys, we can go exploring in the store. But first one more stop, the bookstore."

Robbie's eyes lit up. "There's a bookstore here?"

"Yup," Luke replied confidently, then faltered. "At least there used to be... let's go find out."

Robbie grinned and took a big gulp from his bottle of water. "Let's go!"

Luke grinned in return. "Help me clean up, then." They bundled up their wrappings and headed toward where the store used to be.

So far Luke felt he had been lucky, Taylor being the only annoying Stars Hollow resident he'd encountered. On the way to the bookstore, his luck ran out. Even though he stayed on the other side of the street from the dance studio purposely, he still got spotted.

"Luke Danes, is that you?" Miss Patty called from the open doorway. He stopped in resignation, and soon found himself enveloped in a hug. Luke gave a perfunctory squeeze and disengaged as quickly as possible. "And this must be Robbie! Hello little man, I'm Miss Patty, one of your father's oldest and dearest friends." She straightened up without giving Robbie a chance to reply. "Oh my, Luke, what a beautiful child! Look at those red-blonde curls! And your blue eyes! Gorgeous! But with you and Rachel providing the genes, how could he not be?"

Luke looked embarrassed and shrugged. Miss Patty had always made him profoundly uncomfortable. Robbie seemed to pick up on this, and he stood quietly by Luke's side, holding his hand securely.

"Where is Rachel, darling, is she with you?"

"No, not yet. She's finishing up an assignment in Brazil."

"But she'll be joining you soon, yes? I can't wait to see our beautiful world famous photographer. Do you miss your Mommy, dear boy?"

Robbie was startled at her sudden shift of attention back to him, and just nodded, holding Luke's hand tighter.

"Well, uh, we're on our way to the bookstore…" Luke gestured vaguely down the street.

"I'll let you go, darlings, but promise me we'll catch up later – I want to hear all about your adventures."

"Oh, yeah, sure," Luke agreed, and they walked quickly away. Happy to be away from the cloud of cigarette smoke and perfume that was Miss Patty, he continued leading his son down the street toward his destination. They made it to the bookstore, still in its famialiar location, without running into any other Stars Hollow residents that he knew, and Luke breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the store.

He relaxed too soon- there was Kirk Gleason, talking with a man who stood behind the cash register. "Though I haven't worked specifically in the publishing field, you'll see I have extensive retail experience which should enable me to easily master the book-selling process."

"Okay, thanks very much, Kirk, I'll let you know."

Luke lowered his head and tried to pass by unnoticed, but no such luck. The man behind the cash register had made eye contact and nodded, which made Kirk turn and look.

"Luke Danes."

"Kirk." Luke nodded shortly and continued moving into the store.

"You've been away for five years. Welcome back."

"Thanks, Kirk."

"Will you be reopening the hardware store? Will you be hiring?"

"I don't think so, Kirk, and no." Luke switched his attention to finding the children's section, moving toward the back of the store. Once in the correct aisle, he said, "Okay, buddy, you can pick out a new book, and I'll look for one too." Robbie squatted down and began happily pulling books from the shelves and paging through them. "Be gentle, bud. You rip it, we have to buy it."

The man from the front of the store appeared. "Looking for anything in particular?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Someone recommended _Toast and Jam for … _someone, I don't remember the name."

"Ah, yes, _Bread and Jam for Frances_– a classic." The man bent down and pulled a hardcover book from a lower shelf. "Here it is. Picky eater?" The man asked, looking at Robbie, who was fully absorbed in a pop-up book with dinosaurs.

"Oh, no, not really," Luke said. "Sweet tooth, though."

"This is a good choice then. We have it in paperback as well. I'm Andrew, by the way, Andrew Mitchell. I own the bookstore."

"Nice to meet you. Luke Danes." He gestured down the street. "My dad owned the hardware store, years ago. I grew up here in Stars Hollow. Mrs. Johnson moved away?"

"Yes. She got remarried several years ago, apparently her new husband finally convinced her to retire and move down south."

"Wow – she was an institution. I remember coming to story hour here when I was my son's age."

"Yep – she's a legend. Tough shoes to fill, but after two years I'm finally being referred to just as Andrew, not the new bookstore owner."

Luke smiled. "Well, welcome to Stars Hollow."

"And welcome back. Let me know if you need help with anything else."

"Will do, thanks." Luke squatted down to confer with Robbie. "I found mine, kiddo, how about you?"

"I like this dinosaur one."

"Will you want to reread it, or is it just a one time thing?"

"One time, maybe." Robbie opened and closed the last page a few times, watching a T-Rex rise up and appear to growl.

"How about this one? "Luke suggested, pulling an encyclopedia of dinosaurs out. Robbie opened it and slowly paged through the beginning of it, looking at the colorful pictures and boxes of information. "This one's good. This will take a long time to look at everything."

"One more or are we good?"

"Let's go, I want to go in our store."

Luke smiled and they headed up front to pay.

* * *

"Big mess."

"You're not kidding, buddy."

Robbie and Luke had made their way through the relatively organized downstairs of the store, where only some inventory remained on dusty shelves, and had headed up the stairs to the old office. Here was where everything else had come to die, apparently. Luke remembered his last frantic days in Stars Hollow five years ago, filling the office space with stuff from the house that he didn't want to trust to the renters or leave in the storage unit he had rented. He'd also brought up boxes of old inventory that Bob didn't want to even try selling, and that Luke had had no time to take care of. He remembered leaving a path to the old rolltop desk so that Bob could use it, but downstairs he'd seen that Bob had instead put a desk in one of the back rooms and used that as his office. Luke couldn't blame him.

"Wow, Daddy. This is a lot of things."

"You got that right." Luke stood with his hands on his hips, surveying the landscape and trying to decide what to do. He knew that eventually Robbie would need his nap, and he debated briefly what to do. Leave the mess for another day and head to Mia and the Inn so Robbie could sleep in comfort, or, get started here, and let Robbie nap where he fell? The urge to get started won. He'd clear a path to the old leather couch and the bathroom – maybe even a window to get some fresh air in here. His mind made up, he clapped his hands together. "Okay, here's the plan..."

Several hours later, Luke had made some headway on the mess, and Robbie was curled up on the couch, reading his new dinosaur book and yawning. They had spent the first hour downstairs, consolidating the inventory onto the shelves nearest the door. Luke showed Robbie how to keep similar things grouped together, and put him to work moving things from and to the lower shelves, while tackling the upper shelves himself. He resisted the impulse to just start throwing everything away – he didn't know yet whether he'd be able to sell any of this off, and they needed every penny for what came next, whatever that might be.

Once the shelves further back were clear, Luke and Robbie gave them a cursory dusting with some old rags he found in one of the back rooms, and started moving things down from upstairs. He had to smile at the industriousness of his son. Robbie carried one item down at a time, concentrating on not falling down the stairs. He carefully placed it on a shelf, and then headed back up for another single item. How much help he was being was questionable, but Luke enjoyed the companionship of it. He'd always incorporated Robbie into his activities and chores, just as his dad had with him. Again he allowed himself to feel the weight, the contentedness, of having brought his son home, of having come full circle.

Robbie began climbing the stairs more and more slowly, his little legs wearing out. After a path to the couch was almost cleared, Luke ran a damp cloth and then a dry one over it, then hoisted Robbie up and settled him in with the book and his blanket, retrieved from the car. Luke decided to take a break to let Robbie fall fully asleep, and returned downstairs. He opened the door to let fresh air in, and sat on the steps to drink a bottle of water left from lunch. He took advantage of the Robbie-free time to make lists in his head. Get truck, return car. Talk to renters, call Bob about where and how to sell inventory. Try and track down Liz, let her know they were back in the country. Call Rachel.

That brought his thoughts to a stop. He didn't really want to think about Rachel. He did best concentrating on the immediate future only.

He went back to work, quietly continuing to clear paths to the upstairs bathroom and windows. He worked steadily, in between various visitors. He'd left the front door wide open for air, which also brought in the curious. Luke figured he might as well get as many reunions and introductions over as possible. After two hours of a fairly steady stream of old friends and neighbors, making small talk and answering "I don't know, no definite plans yet, except to clean up a little," Luke was mentally exhausted. Finally saying goodbye to Babette and Morey, who had been chatting away for about 20 minutes, Luke closed the door and headed upstairs to see if Robbie was awake.

Slow to fall asleep and slow to wake up, his little boy was just beginning to stir. Luke took a moment to look around. He wondered if they could stay up here, if he got it cleared up enough. It was something he had thought about on the plane. He didn't want to pay for a hotel any longer than necessary, and he didn't want to kick the renters out of the house prematurely and lose that income. Staying here seemed doable. The bathroom worked, and if he retrieved some of the old camping supplies, he could make things comfortable enough for now.

"Daddy?"

"Right here, Robbie."

Robbie pulled himself upright. Luke crossed over to the couch and settled down next to his still–drowsy son. Robbie leaned against Luke's side, still yawning and occasionally rubbing his eyes. Luke started speaking slowly and quietly, as he often did after naps and in the morning, filling in Robbie on what was coming next. Especially as they were leaving one place and arriving in the new one, he was careful to let him know what was coming up. "So once you're up buddy, let's close up here and head out to see Mia at her Inn. You remember Mia, she came to visit us in Italy last year, right before we headed to Brazil."

"I remember. She's nice. She brought me a puzzle."

"Yup. We'll get our suitcases into our room, wash up, have some dinner, and make some plans for tomorrow. All I know for sure about tomorrow is we have to see if my big green truck is still running after all these years, and if it is, return the rental car to Hartford."

"Big green truck," Robbie murmured.

"Yup – I think you'll like it. Just tell me when you're ready to go."

Again, Luke felt the urge to move, to do, but he didn't want to rush Robbie, and he was also reminding himself these days to enjoy these moments with his son. He could already see the time coming when Robbie would be less willing to cuddle and be close. So they sat together in the dusty, cluttered room, late afternoon sun slanting through the windows. Luke felt himself getting drowsy, and shook himself to stay awake, which in turn roused Robbie from his post-nap stupor.

"Okay, up and at 'em, what do you say?" Luke rose, pointed Robbie toward the bathroom, and headed over to close the window. They gathered books and blanket and made their way to similarly lock up downstairs, and finally returned to the car.

"Next stop, Mia!" chorused Robbie. Luke smiled and pulled out from the curb.

* * *

"God I've missed American beer," Luke declared, as Mia sat down next to him on one of the porch chairs.

"It's the little things," Mia smiled.

"Yup," Luke agreed. They watched as Robbie painstakingly watered flowers in the bed in front of the Independence Inn. "I hope he's not throwing off the landscaper's watering schedule," he said.

Mia waved a hand in dismissal. "It's just a little drink. He's a good little worker." They both watched as Robbie walked around the corner to the spigot, filled the watering can, and came back.

"He likes to be useful."

"Like his dad," Mia commented.

Luke smiled.

"He's a wonderful little boy, Luke. Bright, inquisitive, industrious..."

Luke shrugged.

"...funny, smart, polite. You've done a wonderful job with him. You should be proud."

Luke looked away, embarrassed, but then agreed. "I am proud. I never pictured myself as a dad so young. And I never would have thought I'd have the patience, but I do."

"It's not easy, being a single parent most of the time," Mia said.

Luke bristled. "I'm not a single parent, Mia. Rachel is very much Robbie's mom, even when she's on assignment. We both make sure of that."

"I know – and you've done a wonderful job there too. But day to day, you've been the primary parent, and often for very long stretches of time. And that's hard. It can be very lonely."

"Yeah," Luke acknowledged. "Especially far from home." He sat quietly, thinking.

Mia broke the silence with a more cheerful tone. "So does Stars Hollow still feel like home?"

"Yes, definitely. It feels good to be back. Weird, but good."

"So you'll be here a while?"

"Yeah, there's a lot to do. I need to make decisions on the house, the store."

"And whether to stay for good?"

"That too."

"That's a lot of decisions."

"Yup."

"When does Rachel join you?"

Luke sighed. "I don't know. Soon, I hope."

"That sounds very – indefinite," Mia said.

"Can we not talk about this now?"

"Of course." Mia held up her hands. "I didn't mean to push."

"No, Mia, it's okay. It's just that you're about the fiftieth person to ask that today. And even though you're probably the only one of those fifty I actually _want_ to answer, I'm just so tired."

"I understand. It's been a long day."

"And a long... discussion. With Rachel." Luke explained.

Mia nodded. "Well, whenever you're ready to talk, I'm ready to listen."

"Thanks, I appreciate that."

"Let's get you another beer. And all of us a delicious dinner, and then my two boys into their beds."

"Sounds good."

* * *

Several hours later, Robbie was asleep in one bed, and Luke was stretched out on the other, thumbing through a _Sports Illustrated_ he had found down in the lobby, trying to get sleepy enough to turn off his buzzing brain. The sudden ringing of the bedside phone startled him and he scrambled to answer it before the ring woke up his sleeping son.

"Hello?" he said softly.

"Hi, it's me."

"Rachel, hi."

"Did I wake you guys?"

Luke glanced over at Robbie. "Nope – Rob is completely out and I was just reading."

"How did the trip go? How's Stars Hollow?"

"I'm good. Everything went smoothly – Robbie was great."

"He's such a great little traveler."

"He really is. Charmed all the flight attendants, and of course everyone here in Stars Hollow."

"That's our little prince. Did you get the full welcome?"

"Yup. I had the door of the store open for most of the afternoon, figured I'd get all the hellos out of the way, plus get a little work done."

"Is it a big mess?"

"Downstairs isn't so bad – upstairs is crazy. But I made a little dent. I think if I work on it for the next few days, I may get it decent enough to stay up there, sort of camp out."

"Really? You want to get that ensconced?"

"How do you get 'ensconced' from 'camping out'?" Luke asked, irritated.

"Why can't you just stay at the Inn for a while? I'm sure Mia would give you a special rate."

"I'd rather save the money."

"Okay."

"I figured it would be okay for now, at least until you get here."

Rachel was quiet for a moment. "I don't know how soon I can get there. We're going to go back out into the rain forest for just a few days, to get a few final shots for the magazine, and to take a few more spec photos for the book. Once we get that, we'll try to set up some meetings in New York, shop the book idea around."

"And if you get a publisher?

"Then we're back out, around the world."

"That would be amazing."

"Say that as if you mean it, Luke."

"I do mean it. That would be amazing, you've been working toward that for a long time and I know how much it means to you."

"But?"

"But nothing. Nothing changes that. But..."

Rachel interrupted with a bitter laugh.

"However..." Luke tried again. Her chuckle sounded more amused this time. "I want something for me, too. I need a home base. After all these years, I want to choose the home base that works for me."

"And that's Stars Hollow."

"Probably. I'm not sure yet. That's why I'm here, to find out."

"And if it is, do I get a say?" She sounded a little wistful.

"Have I had any say in where we've been the past five years?" Luke asked.

"So this is revenge?"

"No, Rachel. Not revenge. This is my turn. My turn to choose where I want to be, choose where I want to be with Robbie."

"And I get no say in where Robbie lives?"

"Of course you do, but what is so wrong with him living here in Stars Hollow?"

Rachel sighed. "Nothing. I just want more for him."

"God, Rachel, he has so much. He speaks four languages, he's lived on four continents, and he's not even five yet. He has a Mom who travels the world. Why can't he have a few years of one hometown? Why can't he have a Dad that's happy too, not just a Mom?" Luke burst out.

"What about Italy? You loved Italy."

"I did love Italy. But we left Italy, remember? And even if we hadn't, it still wasn't home."

"You're that unhappy, still?"

Luke sighed and rubbed his hand over his eyes. "Rachel, it's late. I'm tired. 24 hours ago I was still in Rio; tonight I'm going to sleep in Stars Hollow. It's surreal. I just got here. Give me some time to get settled, see what's up, do some thinking."

He softened his tone. "But, please, stop hating Stars Hollow. Our parents chose to live here, you and I both grew up here, it's not an evil place. And if you're traveling around the world, it's just as centrally located as anywhere else."

"Okay," she said. "Get some rest. Can I talk to Robbie?"

"He's out, Rachel."

"Just put the phone next to his ear, so I can sing? Please?"

"Okay."

Luke laid the phone next to Robbie on the pillow, and listened to the faint tones of Rachel singing the lullaby she sang every night that she was with him, or could call. He closed his eyes for a second, thinking of all the times and places they had heard that tune. He picked the receiver back up when she finished the song.

"He's still asleep, but he did stir a little when he heard your voice."

"I do love him, Luke."

"I know that Rachel. God, I know that."

"I love you too."

"And I love you."

"Do you Luke? I know you used to love me, but do you still?"

She hung up before he could answer. Luke sighed once more, wondering what he had set in motion by the simple act of coming home.


	4. Muffins and Friends for Robbie(and Luke)

**Muffins and Friends for Robbie (and Luke)**

**_Wednesday, April 15, 1992_**

"This cereal is good, Daddy."

"Yeah, I'm sure you think so." Luke resisted the impulse to pick up the small blue box and see just how many grams of sugar his son was ingesting.

"You want to taste?" Robbie held out a dripping spoonful of frosted flakes.

"No thanks, bud, I've got my own."

Luke nodded at his yogurt, granola and fresh fruit. Robbie returned to scooping up sugary cereal and milk. Luke looked up as Mia approached.

"Good morning you two! How did you sleep?"

Robbie just nodded, his mouth still full of cereal.

"Great, Mia, thank you," Luke answered for both.

"I'm glad, and I'm so glad you're here. May I join you?"

"Of course."

Mia sat with the cup of coffee she already held, and added milk and sugar from the table. "Did you try the muffins?"

"Not yet. Robbie has his eye on them."

"You should try them, they're fabulous. We recently promoted one of our sous chefs to head breakfast chef. She's young and full of ideas—she's making our breakfast the talk of the town."

Luke nodded as he finished up the last spoonfuls of his yogurt. He watched Mia watch the room, her proprietor's eye looking for snags and imperfections. As her eyes lit up he turned to see what she saw.

"Lorelai, over here!"

"Oh, hi Mia, I was just heading to your office. The school bus was a little late today."

Lorelai turned and saw Luke and Robbie "Hi you two!"

Robbie's face brightened. "Hi!"

Luke added a quiet, "Hey, Lorelai."

"You know each other?" Mia asked, confused.

A smiling Lorelai answered first. "We met yesterday. I helped Robbie here stage a sit-down strike in the name of more cookies. More cookies!" she yelled, pumping her fist in the air. Robbie giggled. Mia still looked confused.

"Robbie was having a bit of a meltdown in front of Weston's yesterday," Luke explained. "Lorelai was kind enough to intervene and get him back to cooperative."

"Aw, it was nothing. Tell me how you to know Mia. Seems like you know all my favorite people." She looked at Robbie and smiled.

"Lorelai this is Luke Danes and his son Robbie. He's the author of all those postcards in my office. I've told you stories of his adventures with his wife Rachel, Stars Hollow's famed photojournalist."

"Oh, wow, you're _that_ Luke!" She deepened her tone and said in an announcer's voice, "Luke Danes, world traveler." She stuck out her hand to a laughing Luke. "Lorelai Gilmore, nice to officially meet you. Why are you laughing?"

"It's just weird to hear myself referred to that way. I never in a million years thought I'd _be_ a world traveler, let alone have people think of me that way."

"Oh, but we do. God, Rory is going to be so excited to meet you after all these years! I'll warn you now she's going to have a million questions for you."

"It's true," Mia agreed. "She grills me every time a new postcard arrives."

"She currently wants to be a journalist when she grows up, and travel the world," Lorelai added.

"Just like my mommy," Robby observed.

"Well, I'm happy to talk to her, though my international expertise is mostly how to find your way to the local food market."

"Just what my international priority would be," Lorelai agreed. The front desk clerk came up to the table and handed Mia a stack of pink message slips. Mia sifted through them.

"Lorelai, I'm going to go return some of these calls. Why don't we meet in my office in half an hour or so?"

"Sure, that sounds good." Lorelai turned back to look at Robbie. "Whoops, milk alert." She handed him a napkin and pointed to his chin. "Have you tried the muffins yet?" she asked Luke.

"Not yet."

"They're really good."

"I've heard," Luke said, blocking Robbie's hand as he reached for one.

"Hold up there, buddy. Let me slice that for you."

"I got it," said Lorelai, selecting a muffin from the basket that was next to her. "You want butter?" Robbie nodded yes. Lorelai deftly spread creamy butter over the muffin halves and passed them on a plate to Robbie. She took another from the basket and nodded toward Luke. "Butter?"

"Oh, none for me, thanks."

"But you have to. Here." Lorelai cut the muffin in half, spread it lightly with butter and handed one half to Luke.

"I'm not much for sweets."

"Seriously, just one bite and you'll be a convert." Lorelai took a bite of her half and closed her eyes. "Heavenly."

Luke watched her and glanced at Robbie devouring his. He took a bite. "Wow."

"Told you." Lorelai grinned.

"Usually muffins are so…dense. This is so light."

Lorelai smiled in satisfaction. "Hey, want to give your compliments to the chef?"

"No, that's okay."

"Oh but this is fun. Let me go get her." Before he could protest further, Lorelai jumped up and headed back to the kitchen. Luke took another few bites of the muffin, savoring the fluffy texture and trying to figure out what unusual spice was in it. It was literally on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't place it.

Suddenly Lorelai was back, tugging the arm of a young woman. "These two customers want to compliment the chef on her amazing muffins."

Luke swallowed quickly but Robby answered first. "They're really good!"

"Thank you, sweetie."

"Really," Luke added. "This is exceptional."

"Luke?"

Luke looked more closely at the redhead, frowning slightly as he tried to figure out who she was.

"Sookie St. James. We were in high school together. Well, just one year. I was a lowly freshman, you were a super-jock senior."

Luke flushed slightly. "Sookie– yeah, I remember that name. And you."

"I was a year behind Liz. We were in Brownies together. You tried to teach us knots one day."

Luke smiled. "I remember that too."

Lorelai sat back down. "Sookie, sit, talk for a minute."

Sookie looked around, saw that all of the breakfast diners looked content, and sat.

"What spice am I tasting? I can't place it," Luke asked.

"Cardamon. And a touch of all-spice. The cardamon was my Mom's favorite, the all-spice is my idea. My Mom was my first cooking teacher, then the CIA got a hold of me and perfected my skills."

"CIA?" Luke looked confused

Sookie laughed. "I love doing that. CIA – Culinary Institute of America. Over in New York, near FDR's house."

"Oh." Luke smiled.

"Anyway I got a job back here right after I graduated. I've been paying my dues: chopping the onions, stirring the sauce, and now, finally, I get to be in charge. Of breakfast anyway."

"That's great."

"It is great," Lorelai chimed in. "Finally I get my morning coffee fix without having to beg and grovel around Chef Georges."

"Coffee fan, eh?"

"Yup."

"Just be careful, Lorelai I don't want the breakfast profits to take a sudden nosedive," Sookie warned.

"I brought Mia some coffee beans back from Brazil, maybe I should give them to you instead," Luke suggested.

Lorelai got a blissful look on her face. "Brazil. Brazilian coffee."

"Wow, Brazil – is Rachel still down there?" Sookie asked.

"Yes, she and her partner Sophia, she's a writer, are out in the rain forest for one more pass."

"She's done so well. Seems like every other town meeting has an announcement of her pictures in another magazine."

"She has done well. She and Sophia are trying to get a book deal."

"Wow."

"I'm more of a tea man, myself," Luke changed the subject back to beverages as he poured himself some more tea from the small pot on the table. Lorelai shuddered, and Sookie laughed. "This did not go over well in Italy. Or France for that matter. Rachel kept trying to convert me, get me to fit in with the natives, but coffee's never been my taste."

Now it was Sookie's turned to look entranced. "Italy. France. Was the food amazing?"

"Amazing," Luke confirmed. "For me that's been the best part of living abroad. Everywhere we went, I tried to learn the local cuisine."

Sookie's eyes lit up. "You cook?"

"A little. I ended up being sort of an apprentice at a lot of places. Learned to bake bread in France, make pasta in Italy. Actually worked in a family restaurant in Tuscany for a while, cooking a little of everything." He paused and smiled at Lorelai. "In Kenya, I helped out at a coffee plantation for a few weeks. And in Brazil I got a butcher to show me the ropes."

"That's so cool," Sookie enthused.

"It's been really amazing, seeing where people get their food from, the relationship between the farms, the market, the restaurants, the housewives, the tourists."

"My Daddy is a really good cook," Robbie all of a sudden piped in. As the grownups talked, he had been occupying himself with his books, brought down to breakfast.

Lorelai's eyes widened. "Hey, you got it! _Bread and Jam for Frances._"

"Oh, yeah, thanks for the recommendation. He loves it. Insisted on bringing it to breakfast."

Lorelai smiled "Rory always has to have a book with her."

Sookie nodded in agreement then looked around the dining room again. "I should get back," she said. "Luke, how long are you here for?"

"At the Inn? Just a few days, I think."

"Are you staying in Stars Hollow?

"For now anyway. I have to decide what to do with the house and the store, at the very least."

"You're selling the store?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Well, whatever you do, don't sell it to anyone wanting to turn it into a collectible plate store—that market's pretty well cornered already," Lorelai said dryly.

"And don't sell it to Taylor," added Sookie. "He's trying to take over the town."

Luke grinned. "It's a deal."

Sookie looked at Lorelai. "What we actually need is another restaurant in town, to send guests to when they ask."

"A restaurant?" Luke asked, a little surprised. "Why would you want the competition?"

Lorelai chimed in. "We don't. What we need is something _not_ fancy-we've got gourmet covered here. But for good, basic food-something other than pizza, or Chinese-we keep having to send everyone to Woodbridge, then Woodbridge's antique dealers and froufrou shops get all the tourist trade."

Sookie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, maybe you can find someone who wants to open a family restaurant or cafe or something."

"Well, before I do anything, I need to clean it all up."

"Ugh. That sounds...not fun. Luke, so nice to see you again. I'll see you later I hope." Sookie hurried off.

Lorelai stood up. "I should get going too."

"Daddy, can we go see the swans? Mia said there were swans."

"Sure, buddy." Luke looked at Lorelai. "Which way are the swans?"

"Here, I'll show you." She gestured toward the front door. When they reached the porch, Robbie spotted the gardener watering the flowers.

He ran down the steps. "Hi! I'm Robbie. Mia let me water the flowers last night."

"Did she?" said the older man. "Thank you for helping. Do you know their names?"

Lorelai smiled. "Robbie's so friendly. That's great." She turned to Luke. "So, what's on your agenda for today? Anything we can help you with?"

Luke frowned, a little confused at her request.

"You are staying here, right? We're here to serve our guests-and not just muffins."

"Well, I need to retrieve my ancient Chevy truck and see if it's still working, or be made to work, then I'll need to return my rental car, in Hartford I guess, and get a bus back."

"Okay. So, maybe a mechanic, information on where you can most easily and cheaply return your rental, and a bus timetable. Cool."

"You don't need to do all that…"

But Lorelai had already stepped forward to address the gardener. "Jaime, are you okay with Robbie for a few minutes?"

"Si, Miss."

"Thanks. We'll be just inside. Robbie, you okay?" Robbie looked up at Lorelai and Luke and waved. "Excellent." Lorelai gestured toward the door and ushered Luke in. She headed for the front desk, pulled out a pad, and clicked the mouse of one of the computers. "So, if you can't get your truck started, someone from Ray's garage can tow it for you." Luke nodded at the familiar name. "Oh, right I forget you're actually from here. How long has it been?"

"Five years."

"Right. So yeah, it's still Ray's Garage, but his eyesight and hearing are fading fast. He's got a new person, Gypsy, she's great." Lorelai paused for a moment, thinking. "Well, great with cars anyway. With people she's a little...let's just say her bark is worse than her bite. But if you end up there try and get her to be the one to do the work."

"Sounds good."

"Okay, next. Which car rental company?"

"Hertz."

Lorelai started typing into the computer. "Looks like the closest one is on Route 32 in West Hartford. Not all the way in the city so that's good." She jotted something down on her notepad. "Here's the address and number, you'll probably want to call ahead and make sure you're going to be able drop it off there without a penalty. Sometimes airport pick-ups need to go back to an airport, that would be a drag."

Luke just nodded.

"And, bus schedule." More clicking of keys. "Okay, looks like buses leave for Stars Hollow and points southwest every two hours or so, but things pick up around 3. You'll be near the hospital, that's probably why-shifts ending and all, so buses go every half hour or so. Here's the intersection where the closest stop is, and the times from 11 AM on. After three I'll just note every half hour, at :15 and :45 minutes past." Lorelai wrote a few more lines on the notepad, tore off the sheet, and handed it to Luke. "You're all set. Unless you want me to make the call to Hertz?"

"Oh no, that's fine."

The phone began to ring, the second line, and as the desk attendant was already busy taking a reservation, Lorelai picked up. "Independence Inn, Lorelai speaking...Mom, what a surprise, how are you?" Lorelai looked at Luke and made a small grimace. "Well, yes, I'm at work, of course I'm busy...

"Hmm, no, we haven't made plans for Easter yet...

"Well, Mom, you know that we just like to see you and Dad at home, not get dragged to these fancy country club events...

"Well yes, of course Rory would have fun at an egg hunt. Except I don't think the Easter dress I got for her will be fancy enough...

"No Mom, you don't need to buy one for her...

"No Mom, that's not true. It's just that it seems ridiculous to me to spend hundreds of dollars on a little girl's dress when it's only going to be worn once."

Luke could hear the volume and stridency, if not the actual words, of the tirade on the other end of the line. Lorelai held the phone from her ear and made a face again. Luke gestured outside and belatedly moved away to give her some privacy. As he headed back out the door to the porch, he heard Lorelai, talking in an exaggeratedly calm town. "Okay, Mom. Mom. We will be there. Sunday, 9 AM. Yes...

"Yes, Mom...

Yes." The last words were said with barely contained anguish. Luke stepped back out onto the porch, watching Robbie chatter away with Jaime, who nodded occasionally as he worked.

"Sorry about that." Luke turned as Lorelai came up beside him. He was surprised to hear her subdued tone. Though he'd only just met her, it seemed uncharacteristic of her cheerful, confident manner.

"No need to apologize," Luke said.

Lorelai sighed. "My mother. We don't get along that well."

Luke nodded.

"Right. You probably figured that out. We don't talk very often, we see them even less often, and when we do it takes about 30 seconds to get ugly."

"Just lately, or has this been for a while?" Luke asked.

"Since the 'original sin.'"

"They didn't handle the pregnancy news well?"

"You know, surprisingly that wasn't the worst of it. For them, the unforgivable sin was refusing to marry Rory's dad, and then moving out with Rory when she was one."

"Just the two of you?"

"Yep. Just us two."

"Wow."

"Yeah. Sometimes I'm still amazed we made it. Thankfully we met Mia and she made it possible to survive. And thrive. And my mom's never forgiven me." Lorelai remained silent for a few moments, then shook her head as if to clear it. "Hey, sorry, I don't know why I'm telling all this to a virtual stranger. Stop being such a good listener, mister."

Luke smiled. "Sorry, I'll just ignore you next time."

"See that you do."

Robbie looked up at Luke at that moment and waved.

"Almost time for the big green truck, buddy," Luke called, hoping he had forgotten about the swans so they could get going. Robbie nodded.

"Hey, do you want to leave him here while you do your errands?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh, no, he'll be fine going with me."

"Sure, but wouldn't it be nice to get it all done on your own without a four-year-old along? We can check with Mia but I'm sure it would be fine. We're very 'It Takes a Village' here at the Independence Inn."

"Huh?" Luke asked.

"African proverb? Hillary Clinton speech? Everyone pitching in to raise kids?"

"Oh. That's…nice, but really, not necessary."

"Of course it's not necessary, but it will be fun for us and for him. He'll finish watering with Jaime, make some cookies with Sookie, do room inspections with me, color with Mia, see the swans…"

Luke paused. It did sound tempting, a little time away from being 24-hour Dad. "Well, sure, if you think it's okay – that's a nice offer."

"Believe me, I know. Much as I miss those days when Rory was with me every second, I know at the time I treasured a few hours on my own, even if it was just to get a haircut, or go grocery shopping."

"Yeah," Luke agreed, "I'll go I'll just go make sure it's okay with Mia then tell Robbie."

Lorelai held the door open for him once again and led him to Mia's office, who readily agreed to the suggestion. "Oh, certainly!" she said. "It will be so much fun for all of us. We've missed having a child around all day, ever since Rory went to kindergarten."

Thus assured, and with Robbie agreeing without trepidation, Luke headed upstairs to call the rental car company and get ready for a solo day.


	5. A Truck, Some Beers, and a Plan

**A Truck, Some Beers, and a Plan**

**_(still) Wednesday, April 15, 1992_**

Half an hour later Luke neared the end of the long dirt road that led to the Tallman farm, where he had left his truck five years ago.

Mr. Tallman, an old friend of his dad's, greeted him as if he just seen him yesterday. "Luke. How's it going?"

"Very well, Mr. Tallman. Good to see you."

"Call me Ed."

Luke grinned. "Never, my dad would kill me."

"Six feet under I'm thinking he wouldn't care anymore."

"Just shows you don't know my dad."

Mr. Tallman smiled and held out his hand. "You back?"

"I am." Luke shook his hand.

"Here for your truck? Not trading it in for some fancy European model?"

"Nope."

"Can take the man out of the Chevy but not the Chevy out of the man?"

"Something like that. Ever think of going into advertising?"

Ed snorted. "Yeah. Been looking for a second career for a while now." He headed back toward one of the barns that had a lean-to structure on one side. He pulled a key from a pull-out fob attached to his belt and opened the padlock holding the doors shut. He threw them open. "Here she is. Should start up just fine for you. I've been taking her out every month, just to keep her fit."

Luke smiled at Ed's calling the car "she". That was something his dad had always done, referring to cars and buildings and other large objects as "she." It always seemed weird to Luke.

"Thanks, Mr. Tallman, I appreciate it."

"Ed."

"Can't do it, sir."

"You can and you will. You're making me feel ancient. What are you, 26, 27 now?"

"27."

"So, you're a man – a father yourself, right? Your son and wife with you?"

"Rachel's still on assignment in Brazil. Robbie's here with me. I left him for the day with Mia, at the Independence."

"Oh, Mia Halloway. Nice lady."

"That's the one. I'll bring Robbie out to see you one day soon. He'd love to meet the chickens, see your operation."

"Just like you when you were a kid, eh?"

"Pretty much."

"All right, well, start 'er up."

Luke pulled the driver's side door open and stepped up and into the seat, immediately assailed by the familiar smell of leather, oil, and dust. The key was in the ignition. He turned it and grinned broadly as the engine roared to life. He rolled down the window. "Music to my ears, Mr. Tall-, I mean, Ed, music to my ears."

Ed waved him to pull the truck out. Luke drove out of the lean-to garage and a little way down the drive. He turned off the engine and hopped out, eager to inspect. Ed came up as he was kicking the tires. Luke proceeded to walk around the truck, lowered and raised the tailgate, and looked for scratches. "Looks great, Ed." Luke was still grinning.

"You always were unnaturally attached to this thing. If you were smart you would've sold it before you left."

"Probably," Luke conceded. "But I didn't know how long I'd be gone. Never planned on five years."

"True."

Luke looked around the farm. "So how are things, Ed? Operation still going strong?"

"Yup. I got lucky. My two boys, you remember Dave and Ted – they never wanted any part of this. Couldn't get far enough away from the dirt and the smell. They're doing great, though. Both in New York City. But Carol, God bless her, loves this place. Went off to college, but came home every vacation, every summer, and couldn't get back into her overalls fast enough. And when she graduated, she not only came home herself to work, but brought a boy back with her. He grew up on the other side of Hartford, used to work on local farms during the summer, plus he has a business degree. They're married now, and gradually taking over more and more. Exploring organic stuff, new markets, but still willing to listen to the experience of an old man."

"That's great, Ed." Luke had never heard the man speak so many words at one time.

"It is Luke, it is. This day and age, to have a child willing and able to carry on your life's work, it means the world."

"Yeah." Luke thought about his dad's store, closed up and dusty. He felt a pang of guilt, for leaving it and Stars Hollow for so long, for not being here to fight to keep it open. Not that he would've fared any better in the wake of the Home Depot opening between Woodbridge and Stars Hollow, but who knew?

"Damn Home Depot," Ed muttered.

Luke laughed, startled that the man's train of thought so clearly followed his own.

Ed looked him in the eye. "I was sad to see Bob close up your dad's shop, but I don't mean to make you feel bad about it."

"It's okay."

"And your reason for leaving, to be with your son, and your girl, your father would've told you to do that no matter what."

"Yup, right after he finished yelling at me for getting her pregnant in the first place," Luke commented dryly.

Ed laughed. "You got that right."

"Anyway, I still have the building, I hope to make something of that."

"Got any specific plans?"

"Not yet."

"Not that you're willing to share, anyway."

Luke laughed again. Ed had always been sharp. Luke had liked listening to Ed and his dad talk, he always felt like he learned something new about his dad – what he was planning, who in town he got along with and who drove him crazy.

"Alright, well, how do you want to do this?" Ed asked.

"I'd love to get the truck into town today if possible, get the tires filled, oil checked, you know," Luke replied.

"I'm happy to follow you to town if you want. I can pick up a few things that Carol needs."

"I can drive you back here."

"Nah, I'll have Joe, one of the hands, come pick me up in an hour or so. You must have a lot to get to."

"Thanks, Ed, that would be great. Hey, is Carol around?"

"No, she and Kevin are down towards New Haven, visiting a friend's organic farm. Won't be back until tomorrow."

"Be sure to tell her I said hi."

"Will do. Got the key? I assume you don't want me mucking up your fancy sedan?"

"It's just a rental, couldn't care less, but sure, you drive the truck."

Luke handed Ed the keys and headed over to his rental.

* * *

Almost exactly 24 hours after arriving in Stars Hollow, Luke drove back out, heading to Hartford to return the rental car. He was happy to know his truck would be ready and waiting for him upon his return, and that he had managed to avoid getting drawn into too long a conversation at the garage with the still gregarious Ray. Ed had immediately engaged Ray in a story, allowing Luke to introduce himself to Gypsy and discuss what he wanted done. "Don't worry," she had told him. "I'll check your precious baby over thoroughly, make sure it runs perfectly."

Luke smiled and shook his head, recalling the mechanic's acerbic manner, and that Lorelai had warned him about her. Gypsy no doubt had a lot of experience handling the cars of obsessed men. Not that he was obsessed with his truck. But he couldn't deny that he was pretty damn happy to be reunited with it.

Traffic was light, and as he approached the outskirts of Hartford, he glanced at his watch and decided he had time to swing by Bob Turcotte's new hardware store in downtown Hartford. He got a little turned around as he approached the street where Bob was located, as some familiar landmarks like the old glass factory had been converted to lofts and were painted new colors. But soon enough he got oriented, found a parking space, and was walking into Bob's cheerfully cluttered store.

"Luke!" The owner himself greeted him from behind the counter.

"Bob – nice to see you again." Luke reached out and shook his hand. Just then a customer approached the register, and Luke wandered off down one of the aisles. He looked at the shelves, automatically noting where Bob's organization was the same as his dad's and where it varied. Luke recalled hours of doing inventory next to his dad, listening to him explain his reasoning for each placement, and debate the merits of small changes in order. He had appreciated the orderliness and logic of it all but let most of the details go in one ear and out the other.

Bob approached. "Luke. Sorry about that. Come on back to the office."

"No problem, Bob, I know you weren't expecting me. The store looks great."

"Thank you, thank you." Bob lifted a stack of mail off a chair and gestured for Luke to sit. "You want a cup of coffee?"

"No thanks."

"Good, good. Yes, business is good. Home Depot and the other big box stores are gobbling up the small town and suburban customers, but us little guys are still hanging on here in the city neighborhoods. And I lucked out with this location-nothing like gentrification to bring in a steady stream of yuppies needing everything."

"I'm sure it wasn't just luck, you must have looked at a few locations and assessed the market."

"I did, I did. Hey, Luke, let me say again how sorry I am to have had to close up shop in Stars Hollow."

"No apology necessary, Bob – you hung on for longer than you should have, probably."

"Maybe. I sure like that town. Crazy, but nice."

"Crazy for sure."

"How's Mia doing?"

Luke was surprised. "Mia Halloway?"

Bob looked slightly embarrassed and glanced away. "Yes, Mia."

"She's doing fine. My son and I are staying at the Inn through the weekend. She's taking care of him today, as a matter of fact."

"Good, good. Nice lady." He paused, and then cleared his throat. "Well, anyway, I felt bad. I know you hoped to come back and take the store over."

"That was never for sure, Bob. I loved helping my dad in the store, but hardware's never really been my thing. I'm not sure I would've kept it going even if Home Depot hadn't forced our hand."

"Well, good, that makes me feel better. It was hard to leave, but I'm making good profits here. I'm hoping to get another five, ten years here, then retire. For real this time." He smiled.

"Well, lucky for me your first retirement didn't take. I really appreciate you taking over the store for as long as you did. It made it possible for me to leave."

"But now you're back."

"Yes. And I'm ready to get rid of the rest of the inventory – except for a few things to remember my Dad by - and I wanted to see if there was any more you wanted."

"No, I'm good. I did a pretty thorough job of weeding out when I left."

"What do you think I should do with it?"

"Well, you could reach out to the local association of hardware owners but honestly, you won't find too many takers. I've got another person… " Bob leaned forward to look through his Rolodex. "Here she is. Marcy Klein. She has a business – she takes your stuff off your hands, and puts it up for sale in a sort of a perpetual yard sale that her husband runs. She gives you a lump sum and takes everything away. No hassle for you, and at least a little money for your stuff, which is more than if you take it to the dump or the recycling plant."

"Sounds good," Luke said. "Hey, could I call her now, from here? I don't have the phone at the store re-activated yet, and I'd really like to move on this so that I can clear the upstairs enough for Robbie and I to stay up there."

"Sure, sure, let me give her a buzz." Luke stood up and stretched for a moment as Bob started to dial.

"Marcy? Bob Edwards, City Hardware. Fine, fine, all is good here...And you?...

"Good, good. Listen, I have a potential client here for you, Luke Danes. Owns the hardware store I used to run over in Stars Hollow, and he's looking to get rid of the last of the inventory, and possibly some household stuff as well?" Bob looked questioningly at Luke, who nodded.

"He's right here with me, let me put him on."

Bob handed the phone to Luke and in just a few minutes he and Marcy, businesslike but good-natured, had firmed up plans for her to meet him in Stars Hollow on Saturday.

Luke hung up. "Thanks, Bob, that's a load off my mind – literally."

Bob smiled. "You're welcome. She's a great gal, will get you all set. So where to next? You have time to grab an early lunch?"

Luke looked at his watch. 11:30. "No, I better get the rental back before noon – I think there's a penalty after that. But thanks for the invite-another time?"

"Sure, sure." Bob ushered him out of the office and through the store to the front door. They shook hands.

"Bob, great to see you again."

"My pleasure, son. Keep in touch, let me know your plans."

"Will do."

Luke headed to the car, feeling lighter.

* * *

Back on the outskirts of the city fifteen minutes later, he felt lighter still to have returned the rental car. Glancing at his watch and then checking the timetable Lorelai had copied out for him, he saw that he had enough time to grab a quick lunch. He turned back to the clerk. "Any place to eat between here and the bus stop by the hospital?

"Oh sure," she said. "There's a McDonald's and a KFC on the next block over, and a sports bar about four or five blocks down, closer to the hospital."

"Great, thanks." Luke decided on the sports bar, since not even five years away from American fast food was enough to make him miss it.

When he reached the bar and walked in, he saw at once what he had missed: baseball on several TV screens, and beer on tap. Remembering with a grin that he wasn't driving, Luke happily took a seat at the gleaming wood and brass bar.

The bartender approached. "What'll it be?"

"What have you got on tap, domestic?"

"Six national brands plus two local brews."

Luke raised his eyebrows, "How local?"

"Hartford Lager, and Trout Brook."

"Let me try the Hartford Lager, and I'll take a burger with salad as well when you get the chance." He might not have missed fast food, but a burger seemed like a good bet in a bar.

"You got it."

Luke watched the bartender smoothly fill a beer mug, then place it in front of him on a coaster. "Thanks," he said as he lifted the mug to his lips and took a tentative taste followed by a longer drink. "That's good stuff."

"Glad you like it. I'll go put your food order in."

Luke glanced at the screen above the bar and watched a Red Sox pitcher warming up. He felt relaxed, and happy, and completely at home. He wondered briefly what Robbie might be up to, and thought about calling the Inn to check in. Just then the bartender returned with his food.

"Thanks, looks good." The bartender nodded and Luke glanced up at the screen. "How are they doing? I just got back in the country."

"Well, some say, as always, 'this is the year.' Others are more realistic. I think they're two and two. Early days yet."

Luke nodded. "You get both Yankees and Sox fans in here?"

"Yup."

"Ever get ugly?"

The bartender shrugged. "Sometimes. Usually not until later in the season when the Sox start to tank and their fans start looking to scapegoat New York."

"Yeah, well, the Yankees suck."

The bartender laughed. "I'm with you, just don't tell my Yankees customers." He held out his hand, "Joe Murphy. I own the bar."

Luke wiped his greasy fingers on a napkin and shook Joe's hand. "Luke Danes. Good to meet you. Business good?"

"Yup, pretty good. I opened two years ago on baseball opening day, been doing pretty well ever since"

"That's good. Not an easy business."

"That's what they say. But certain formulas work, in the right location. A sports bar near a hospital and a big hotel, plus a few remaining factories not too far away- works out okay."

"Make sense."

"How about you? What's your line of work?" Joe asked.

"Well, I've worked construction in the past, and as a short order cook. I'm just back in the states after five years abroad, not sure exactly what's next, but I'm leaning toward the restaurant business myself."

"Really? Have something in mind?"

"Maybe. I own a building in Stars Hollow, where my dad had a store before. I'm trying to figure out if the space might work as a restaurant."

"What sort of restuarant?"

"Something simple. Café, or family dining."

"Alcohol is where you make the highest profits," Joe pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's a small town and there are already two bars. One nice, one seedy. There's not much in the way of simple, good food, other than the pizza place. At least as far as I know-I just got back in town yesterday."

Joe looked thoughtful. "Sounds like a diner might work."

"Diner, huh. That's interesting." Luke took a bite of his burger and thought about a diner. Good for familes but for others as well, and less frilly than a cafe.

"Stars Hollow is small but touristy, right? There's this whole retro chic thing going on these days. You could make it down home and a good value enough to appeal to the locals, with just enough 'small-town authenticity' to grab the tourists."

"I like the way you think." Luke smiled. A diner. That sounded just right.

"Simple is good." Joe glanced down the bar as a few men and a woman in business attire took seats. "Let me go get them."

Luke nodded, and returned to finishing up his lunch and half watching the game, while his mind turned over the restaurant question. This morning, when Sookie and Lorelai had mentioned the idea of turning the store into a restaurant, his heart had begun racing. This was his secret, spoken to no one, not even Rachel. He had been toying with the idea for years. During the long hours of waiting, during his dad's appointments and chemo treatments and restless nights, he daydreamed about possible menus and calculated costs in a little notebook he carried in a pocket. At first he pictured going to cooking school and starting a restaurant in a nearby town, still close enough to get advice from his dad, but on his own. As his dad got weaker, the dream morphed into a restaurant in Stars Hollow, where he could keep a watchful eye on his dad as he recovered his strength. Only in the final few months and then weeks, as he slowly accepted the inevitable, did he begin to picture a restaurant in the same space as the hardware store. Somehow that felt right to him, in those days and weeks when everything else was so wrong. To build his dream within the walls of his father's dream. A tribute to his dad? A comfort zone for himself? Hard to tell.

Joe came back over. "Get you another beer?"

Luke glanced down at his watch. "Damn, I missed my bus."

Joe shrugged. "Another one then?"

Luke agreed. "Let me try the other local."

"You got it."

Luke settled in, asking Joe questions about how big his staff was, who his suppliers were, how the hours worked out. Joe was full of information, happy to talk shop in between pouring beers and mixing a few harder drinks.

"Sounds like you're pretty serious about this – you're asking good questions, like a man with a plan."

"Yeah, well, maybe."

Joe smiled. "What's holding you back?"

"Well, I'm only just back in the country. Got to get some stuff settled yet."

"Whenever you're ready, give me a call or come back in, I'm happy to share any expertise."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

Joe was off again to cash out some patrons, but soon returned.

"So what takes a construction worker/short order cook abroad, anyway?"

"A pregnant wife who's a photojournalist," Luke replied easily.

"Okay, I can see that." Joe smiled.

"Though first we were in San Francisco. Didn't head to Europe until my son was almost a year old."

"So now he's five?"

"Almost. His birthday is in August."

"Starting kindergarten in the fall?"

"Yup. I wanted him here for that, give him a little more stability."

"And the wife who's a photo-journalist?"

"Rachel," Luke said. "She's still a little antsy at the idea of settling down in one place. We'll see how it goes."

They chatted back and forth easily for the better part of an hour, moving from wives and kids to comparing notes on where they grew up and what sports they played, all the while keeping an eye on the game.

Luke finished up his third and final beer, watched the Sox fly one out to finish the game at a loss, and looked at his watch again.

"When's the next bus?" Joe asked.

"Not until 3:15."

"There's a restaurant supply store down the block if you're looking to fill some time."

Luke looked up from getting out his money. "Yeah?"

"Might give you some ideas, get you inspired."

"Thanks, which direction?"

"Turn right out the door. This side of the street, about a block and a half down."

"Thanks, Joe. Pleasure talking. Nice place."

"Thanks. Hope to see you again sometime, and welcome back to Connecticut."

"Thanks, see ya."

Luke got up from the bar, hit the men's room, then headed out and toward the supply store.

He lost himself in the aisles, pricing out various items and trying to gauge the scale he might be looking at. When he found himself getting too bogged down in details, he moved on to another area, and tried to just take in what he liked and what he didn't. When he was approached by a salesperson, he put him off. Finally he looked at his watch and realized he had missed yet another bus. If he hurried, he could make the 3:45.

* * *

Staring out at the passing scenery as the bus travelled from town to town, Luke looked back on his day with satisfaction. It had been a long time since he had had any stretch of time in which to do just what he wanted to do. The conversations with Ed and Bob, who had known and respected his dad, had felt good. He was surprised at how easy it was to talk about his father-comforting, even. And the shop talk with Joe, and the meandering in the supply store, was just plain fun. His excitement about possibly realizing his restaurant dream was building.

Still, a little guilt nagged at him for leaving Robbie all day, and buried under that was another bit of guilt for leaving Rachel out of his specific plans.

Luke's reverie was broken as the bus slowed and pulled into Stars Hollow. With the restaurant ideas still on his mind, he decided to steal just a few more minutes on his own to go look at the space. He let himself into the darkened store, leaving the lights off so as not to draw visitors in again. He started in the back rooms, eying the larger stockroom and assessing whether it was best to keep it for storage or convert it to the kitchen. Maybe the two smaller rooms could be combined for the kitchen, with a window cut out for orders to be placed and picked up. Luke emerged into the retail space, trying to see past the shelves to how tables might be placed, and how long a counter could be. He found a piece of paper and a pen and made a rough sketch, trying to capture his ideas.

He stood still for a moment, feeling a strong sense of being at a crossroads. He felt the presence of his dad, the comfort of the familiar. At the same time, he felt the promise of a real future, shaped by his own hands. More than anything, he felt excited, and energized, and suddenly he couldn't wait to be back in his truck, and back at the Inn, to share his excitement with his little boy.


	6. It Takes a Village

_Author's Note_: I want to thank everyone for such positive, supportive, thoughtful reviews! This story is already four chapters longer than anything I've ever written, and it's so cool to get feedback after each one. I can see why so many authors talk about being addicted to reviews! There have been some really thoughtful observations and questions raised in your reviews: there is an additional author's note at the end of this chapter where I respond to some of you directly.

Thanks everyone, and I hope you enjoy this next installment!

* * *

**It Takes a Village (or a quirky small town?)**

_**(still) Wednesday, April 15, 1992**_

"Daddy!" Robbie hopped off the porch steps, where he had been sitting next to a brown-haired girl, and ran full tilt towards Luke, who scooped him up in his arms and tossed him high overhead. Robbie laughed and then wrapped his arms and legs around Luke, who hugged him tightly back.

"Missed you buddy. Did you have fun?"

"Yes. Come on, come see Rory." Robbie wiggled down, grabbed his hand, and started tugging him toward the porch. Rory stood up, brushing off her pants, and looked up at Luke shyly as he approached.

Luke held out his hand to her, "Hi Rory, I'm Luke Danes, nice to meet you."

Rory took his hand lightly and said "Nice to meet you too." Her voice was shy, but her gaze was curious and direct.

Luke noticed the book she held in her other hand. "Thanks for reading to Robbie."

"Oh! That's fun. I love this book."

"It was your mom who recommended it to us – Robbie loves it."

"I know, he made me read it to him three times already," she smiled.

Mia got up from the bench where she had been sitting and greeted him. "Productive day?" she asked.

"Very," Luke replied. "How did things go here?"

"Very well. We had a lovely time having him all to ourselves today, and he and Rory are already fast friends, in all of two hours."

Luke smiled; they had already returned to their spot on the steps, to finish the book. "He did okay then?"

"Oh yes, he was fine. He started getting antsy, asking when you'd be back, oh, about half an hour ago. So we came out here to wait for you."

"Yeah, we haven't spent too many days apart. Thank you for today, and Lorelai too."

"You're most welcome, it really was our pleasure," Mia said sincerely.

Robbie looked up as Rory closed the book. "Did you bring the truck?" he asked eagerly.

"I did– it's running fine."

"Can I see it?"

"Sure. Rory, want to come?"

Rory glanced at Mia, who nodded. "Okay."

The trio headed to the parking lot, where Robbie circled the truck in admiration. "Can I climb up?"

"Sure." Luke watched him pull himself onto the back bumper, then somewhat gracelessly tumble over the tailgate into the back.

"I'm okay!" Robbie said, his head popping up. Luke and Rory laughed.

"Want to go up too?" Luke asked.

Rory looked skeptical. "I'm not much of a climber."

"It's not that high," Luke encouraged her. "Give it a try."

Luke patted the top of the tailgate. Rory placed both hands, cautiously raised her foot to the bumper, then pulled herself up. She lifted one leg over the tailgate into the bed of the truck, then transferred the rest of herself over and in.

Robbie was running back and forth across the truck bed. "It's so big, Daddy! We can carry everything in here!"

Luke smiled at his enthusiasm and watched as Robbie sat down on the hump over the wheel, opposite where Rory had found herself a perch on the other side.

"It's a little dirty in there, is your mom going to mind?" Luke asked.

"Nope, she won't," Luke heard from behind him. He turned and saw Lorelai approaching with a smile on her face. "My mother's futile 16 year campaign to keep me from ruining my clothes taught me not to even try with Rory."

Luke smiled back. Lorelai leaned her elbows on the top of the tailgate and nodded at Rory and at Robbie, who was now kneeling and peering through the window into the cab. "I see you've met Rory."

"Just. They seem to be getting along."

"Yes, they took to each other right away. I think Rory's excited to have someone younger to try and boss around. How was your day?"Lorelai asked.

"Good. Everything went really smoothly. How about yours?"

"Also good. Mia was right – it felt like the old days, having a little kid around." Lorelai raised her voice slightly. "I made Robbie my new assistant inspector, didn't I?"

Robbie turned and nodded and smiled. "Daddy, Lorelai gave me a white glove and I found dust!"

Luke laughed. "I don't think I've ever met anyone who actually used the white glove test before," he said, glancing sideways at Lorelai.

"Ah, yes. One thing I did adopt from my mother. I introduced it when I was promoted to head of housekeeping. Made me real popular among my former equals, as you can imagine."

Luke smiled. He called to Robbie, "Okay, want to go in the cab?" Robbie nodded eagerly, and Rory shrugged. Luke took a step back and lowered the tailgate, and held his hand out for the two of them to hold as they jumped to the ground. Robbie immediately raced around to the front and tugged at the door handle, while Rory walked to the other door and Luke followed Robbie. He gave him a boost into the driver's seat, made sure the parking brake was set, and nodded okay to Rory, who had opened the passenger door herself but was waiting permission to climb in. Once they were both seated, Luke headed back to Lorelai, hoisting himself onto the tailgate to sit, legs dangling down. He looked out over the grounds. "The Inn is looking really good. Mia has worked hard on it."

"Yeah. She's amazing. I don't know how she can be both the savviest business woman I've met and the kindest person too."

"How long have you worked here?"

"I showed up on the doorstep with Rory six and a half years ago, begging for a job. I still can't believe she took me on. She's my angel."

"Yeah, she's good people. You started as a maid?"

"I did."

"So maid, head of housekeeping, then?" he asked.

"Assistant manager for payroll and scheduling, and I've been handling some inventory and ordering lately too. Plus I'm learning the registration desk, and helping on some of the event planning. A little bit of everything, really."

"You enjoy it?"

"I do. There's a lot of variety in my day, and a lot of new things to learn. Plus I love the steadily increasing salary."

There was a slight pause, and they heard a high-pitched whining sound from the front of the truck. Lorelai chuckled and looked over at Luke. "Shall we go spy, find out what they're doing?"

Luke nodded, and each went around their respective side of the truck, leaning against the truck bed near the cab. They heard Robbie's voice, pitched high in excitement. "Pretend we're in a big green rocket, headed toward the moon."

Rory chimed in, "We're headed to the moon, determined to settle once and for all, is it made of cheese?"

More vrooming noises followed, and more chatter as Luke and Lorelai moved back to resume their spots sitting on the lowered tailgate.

"It's great that Rory's going along with the imaginings of a four-year-old." Luke said.

"Oh, no worries there. Rory still spends most of her playtime in pretend-ville. She and her friend Lane spend hours spinning elaborate scenarios. I love it. She's sort of freakishly mature in other ways, so I love the parts that are still so childish."

"Yeah, that's good."

"But, all good things must come to an end."

Luke looked at her questioningly.

"Dinner, homework…" she trailed off.

Just then Robbie and Rory appeared. "Daddy, Rory says they eat dinner in the kitchen, just like we used to in Italy. Can we eat dinner in the kitchen?"

"I don't know, Robbie, we'll have to ask Mia, that's usually just for the crew."

Luke hopped down from the tailgate and looked at Lorelai. She got down as well.

"It'll probably be fine. Sookie is cooking crew dinner tonight, I think, so there will be plenty."

Luke nodded. He raised the tailgate and locked it into place, then closed the door that Robbie had left open. "Okay, let's go." He held Robbie's hand until the edge of the Inn's lawn, then let him run on ahead. Rory followed a little bit more slowly, Luke and Lorelai bringing up the rear. They entered the kitchen just as Chef Georges was beginning to go over the specials with the wait staff and the whole crew was about to start pre-service dinner. Sookie, standing slightly behind Chef Georges, winked at Lorelai and smiled at Luke. Luke placed his hand on Robbie's shoulder, keeping him quietly next to him until the chef was done speaking.

Just as he finished, Mia came down the hall. "Wow, quite a crowd here!"

"Rory told Robbie about crew dinner and he's all excited to join us, if that's okay?" Lorelai asked.

"It's fine," Mia said. "I'm staying too. Sookie's crew dinners are always my favorite."

"Thanks, Mia. You know Robbie and I ate with the staff most of the time we were in Italy, we really miss that."

As soon as he said "Italy," Rory turned toward him with an eager expression. Luke didn't see her though as he ushered Robbie toward the bathroom to get cleaned up for dinner.

When they returned and took seats opposite Lorelai and Rory, Lorelai nudged Rory's shoulder. "Go ahead, ask him."

"Mom..."

"Come on, don't be shy."

Rory took a breath, folded her hands in her lap and looked intently at Luke, but didn't say anything. Luke watched the tips of her ears turn pink and remembered his own shyness as a boy. He smiled encouragingly and finally she blurted out, "CanIinterviewyouformyschoolproject?"

He smiled more broadly. "Say that again, more slowly?"

"Can I interview you, for my school project?"

"Uh, maybe. What is it?"

"Well Mrs. Katsoulis, that's my teacher, is having us do a final project for Language Arts. We've been learning about different parts of newspapers and we can pick any kind of news story to do. And I want to be a foreign correspondent when I grow up, and so I want to do an interview, and I was maybe going to interview Mia because she went to Italy but I'd much rather talk to someone who's been to many foreign countries and I'm sure that she won't mind if I switch to you. Mia, I mean. And Mrs. Katsoulis. If it's okay with you. Is it okay with you?"

Luke's smile had faded a bit during her long speech but he grinned anew as Rory finally stopped talking and looked at him expectantly. "Sure, that would be fine, but how soon?"

"Oh, not so soon. It's only April and the project isn't due until right before Memorial Day."

"Okay, that'll work. I have some boxes coming from Brazil that have some souvenirs and other things you might find interesting too."

"Oh, cool, I'd love to see stuff from another country!"

"Once Robbie and I are settled in and unpacked a little, we'll set up a time. But are you sure you want to interview me? Like I told your mom, I didn't do a lot of touristy stuff – mostly just lived life, found good food to cook…" he drifted off.

Rory said earnestly, "But that's what I'm curious about: the real people who live there, and what their lives are like, and what you saw every day."

"Okay. I'm happy to do it then," Luke agreed.

Rory smiled with satisfaction and turned her attention to her dinner. Luke looked over at Robbie, who was happily eating, and then raised his eyes to Lorelai, who seemed to have been looking at him all along.

"Thanks," she said quietly. "You've made her very happy."

Luke looked down at his plate shyly. "It's my pleasure."

Mia smiled. "I think it's safe to say our little Rory is going to be quite the successful journalist, should that stay her dream."

Luke, Lorelai, and Sookie all nodded in agreement.

* * *

An hour later, Mia, Luke, and Lorelai remained at one end of the long, thin table, lingering over tea and coffee. Rory and Robbie were at the other end. Rory was completing her homework, and Robbie was drawing a complicated dinosaur picture.

"This was delicious," Luke said. "Thank you for including us." He looked at both Mia and Lorelai with gratitude.

Mia nodded "You're most welcome."

"This reminds me of Italy. Actually this whole day reminded me of Italy."

"How so?" Lorelai asked curiously.

"Our year in Tuscany was the most like a true home we had. We lived next door to a family that knew Rachel's dad, from way back when he was in the army and stationed in Italy. They ran a restaurant, and there was always someone to watch Robbie. I was able to help out at the restaurant, go to market with the chef, while Robbie and the other kids in the family were supervised by the various moms and aunts and older children. And we would all eat together almost every night: family and crew. It was really great."

"Sounds nice," Lorelai agreed.

"I had a lovely time when I visited," Mia said. "It must have been hard to leave there."

"It was. It was the only place we stayed twice. We left for a few months for an assignment Rachel had in Kenya, and then came back." Luke paused, remembering. "When we finally left for good for Brazil, it was really hard to say goodbye. They had become like family, and to lose that support system..."

Lorelai nodded. "I swear that's the only thing that makes parenting work, especially single parenting."

Mia looked thoughtful. "When John died, and it was just me and the boys, I wouldn't have made it through without my women friends, and especially some of their husbands. They stepped up to help with the chauffeuring, and coaching, and car stuff."

Luke nodded. "So much of the time it's just been me and Robbie. I loved having other people around for him. It felt like that today. And I took total advantage, so thank you again."

"Stop thanking us, silly boy," Mia chided him. "It was our pleasure. He's a joy."

"He really is a great kid," Lorelai agreed.

"So's Rory," Luke said. They all three looked down the table, where Rory was helping Robbie spell the names of the dinosaurs for the labels he was adding to his picture.

"Rory, are you all done?" Lorelai asked.

"All done."

"Well, I hate to break this up, but it's time for bath and bed." Rory nodded and began piling up her notebooks and books.

Robbie put the colored pencils back in the box and handed them to Mia, then leaned up against Luke and showed him his drawing. Luke wrapped his arm around him and kissed the top of his head. "Looks good. You fit in a lot of different kinds."

"Twelve," noted Robbie, yawning.

"Bath and bed for you too, little guy."

Robbie just nodded.

* * *

Luke laid in his bed that night, feeling tired and thoughtful but not yet sleepy. He was on his side, watching Robbie in the bed across from him, his little chest rising and falling. He felt the same peace he always did when quietly connected to his son. He rolled onto his back, resting his hands under his head, and felt the peace flow outward from the two of them: out into the Inn, into the town, and beyond, and then back again. It was a strange sensation, but it filled him with certainty that it was right for him to be here, and that Stars Hollow is where he wanted, and needed, to stay.

In a way he had known that all along. The pull toward home had never gone away, had really only intensified, especially once they left Italy. He had been pretending, to himself, and Rachel, and everyone, that it wasn't a done deal, but this single day had blown away his facade of uncertainty. From the instant bond he felt with Lorelai as a parent, and the easy camaraderie with her and Sookie, the love and trust he felt for Mia, the ease with which he had left Robbie in their care all day, to the joy of watching his only, sometimes lonely, child make friends with Rory.

And, his restaurant dream. To build something of his own, to put his hands and brain and creativity to work on something in addition to Robbie.

He felt the same rush of excitement he had felt earlier, sitting in the store, feeling his dad's presence, and the future beckoning.

Now all he had to do was make it happen.

* * *

_Additional Author's Note:_

**lulu1960** wrote: "I see you are going a different route with how he got info on the diner, not bringing Maizy and Buddy in."

-Never fear, Lulu dear!Luke and Robbie will be visiting Sniffy's Tavern very soon, and getting some good advice. It was deliberate on my part, though, to have him first share his restaurant plan with a stranger, not old friends or say, his wife... :-)

**deepfriedcake** wrote: "..It's great to see him as a younger version of himself, not as prickly or grumpy because he's had a family in his life to help him over the bumps of losing his dad and home." and **maramouse** wrote: "I love the gruff Luke from the show, and I find it unrealistic when his gruffness totally disappears. But in this case, it just works. Luke's younger here, and though he still has insecurities and is perhaps not in the right relationship, he also had the opportunity to see things out with Rachel, and that does seem to have helped his confidence, especially as his status as Stars Hollow's resident bachelor colored him so much in GG."

-I love that this part of what I'm trying to do here is coming across! It's one of my favorite things about fanfic, the "what ifs". What if Luke still loses his mom and dad, and Liz in a sense, but has a wife and son himself-how would that change his grieving? How would time away from Stars Hollow change that? And how would all these things alter the way he develops, and acts?

**maramouse** asked: "Just out of curiosity, what made you decide to write this story with Robbie and not April? It's a welcome change, and I prefer Rachel to Anna any day (plus, I *love* seeing Luke interact with a son), but I was just curious! I'm always curious about how stories are conceived."

-Hmm. I've been pondering this, trying to remember. (This story has been in my head for a long time!). First of all, I do have a story in mind involving Luke being a dad to April all along, but there are a few good stories out there already with that twist (**moonmama's** _The Third Option_ leaps to mind, I love both the original and the re-write she's been working on). I think the idea of a child with Rachel came to me because, as in the original _Variations_ by **kinofille, **I wanted Luke to be coming to Stars Hollow: not for the first time, like Lorelai in that story, but after a long absence. I love the way _Variations_ starts out with Lorelai in a car, heading for SH, and in a later chapter, she drives Rory to SH for the first time as well. So one of the first images I had in my head for this story was Luke driving back into SH after many years. Rachel seemed to be the best way to explain him having been away for so long, and a child seemed the most likely reason he would have left in the first place. I too like the idea of Luke with a son: that choice was also probably fueled by having a son myself, who is 14 and growing up way too fast, which makes me perpetually nostalgic for his younger self. The period around when he turned five was one of my favorite times with him, so it's been fun, and a bit comforting, to be able to write about a little guy that age. Not that Robbie is directly modelled on my son, more that I like having the opportunity to write about a really sweet parent/child time.


	7. Decisions Large and Small

**Decisions Large and Small**

**_Thursday, April 16_**

Luke woke up refreshed, with both the buzz of energy and sense of surety that he had gone to sleep with. When he emerged from the bathroom he saw Robbie stirring; by the time Luke had gotten dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved white oxford shirt, Robbie's eyes were open and watching.

"Morning, little guy."

"Morning Daddy."

Luke sat down on Robbie's bed and ran his fingers through the boy's red-tinged curls. "Ready for some adventures in the big green truck?"

Robbie sat up. "Yes!"

"Good, let's get you dressed and we'll go see what's for breakfast."

"More muffins?"

"Okay, but let's have some eggs too, not Sugar Flakes," Luke said as he sent Robbie into the bathroom.

"Frosted Flakes," Robbie mumbled around his toothbrush, a few minutes later.

"Whatever. Eggs instead."

"Okay."

Soon enough Robbie was brushed and scrubbed and dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved blue and red striped shirt, with Luke carrying a sweatshirt for him. They headed out of the room and down the main staircase, reaching the bottom just as Lorelai was coming in the front door.

"Lorelai!" Robbie jumped over the last few steps, stumbled briefly, and ran up to meet her. "I get to ride in the truck today!"

"Awesome!" Lorelai high fived him, then turned and grinned at Luke.

"Morning."

"Morning. Rory get off to school?"

"Yup. The bus stops at the end of the drive."

"Do you live at the Inn?" Luke asked, curious.

"Sort of, we live in a converted garden shed out back a ways."

"Wow, is that warm enough in the winter?"

"Haven't frozen to death so far. And the rent can't be beat." She shifted topics. "What's up for you two today?"

"Muffins for breakfast!" Robbie yelled, before Luke could answer. Lorelai laughed and gestured toward the dining room. Robbie made a beeline toward an empty table and scrambled up into one of the chairs. Luke and Lorelai followed him over. "And after breakfast?" Lorelai asked Luke.

"Lots of exciting stuff. Phone company. Bank. Check in with the people renting my old house. Lunch with some longtime family friends and finally, cleaning out junk so we can start staying in town."

"So you'll be leaving the Inn soon?"

"In a few days."

Lorelai frowned slightly. "Rory will miss her new friend."

"Don't worry, I won't be able to keep Robbie away. He already loves it here. We'll be around a lot."

"Good. So hey, can Robbie hang out with us here after school? I'm picking up Rory, and possibly her friend Lane, at four because they have Girl Scouts after school this afternoon. We could swing by the store on our way back here."

Robbie's eyes lit up. "Can I play with Rory, Dad?"

Luke looked at Lorelai. "It's no trouble?"

"Nope. He may have to color again while they do their homework, but after that they'll be thrilled to play with him."

"That would work out great for me. Then I could really put some work in clearing stuff out. I have a woman coming by late Saturday to look over and buy a bunch of old inventory, so I need to make some headway."

"Perfect, it's a plan then- we'll be by at four or a little after."

"Thanks." Luke watched Lorelai walk away. She paused just long enough to let the server know they were ready; he felt a brief pang of disappointment that she wouldn't be eating with them this morning. He turned back to Robbie. "Okay scrambled, fried, or omelette?"

"Cheese omelette!"

* * *

Luke knew he probably could have called the phone company, but he was relishing the opportunity to drive. The phone company was almost all the way to Litchfield, and he happily headed that way. Robbie bounced with excitement in the seat next to him, adding the occasional 'vroom vroom' to the proceedings. Luke tousled his son's hair again and smiled when Robbie batted his hand away.

Soon enough they were pulling into the parking lot in front of the low, brick buildings that made up the phone company complex. Luke stepped out of the truck into the slight warmth of the spring morning. He felt the crunch of brown pine needles underfoot as he breathed in the piney air around him. He wasn't sure how long this would last, this cataloging of the familiar smells of home. It was probably a necessary part of adjusting to the reality of being back. In the frequent moves over the past five years, his brain had done the same thing in each new place: searching for his bearings through his five senses, looking for the familiar among the foreign. Now he was getting re-acclimated here at home, but here the sights, sounds, and smells were familiar and little changed. He liked that.

He opened Robbie's door and held his hand as he jumped down, and they headed in. Once inside the wait wasn't long, and soon enough Luke was being asked if he wanted to keep the same number as before. He realized he had no idea.

"Well," asked Carly, the customer service representative helping him, "are you reopening the old business, or opening a new one?"

"New business," Luke said firmly.

"I think a new number would be wise then. Less confusion. How many years was the old store there?"

"Almost 30 years."

"Yes, then a new number would be good."

Luke pondered for a moment. He didn't like the idea of giving up the store's old number, but did see the logic of doing so. He asked, "There's an extension upstairs, in the old office. Is it possible to make that a separate line, with a separate number?"

"Sure. We'd have to send the tech crew over to add a multi-line jack, which will be an additional charge."

"That's okay. Let's keep the old store number as the new apartment number, and get a new number for the store."

"Okay, sounds good. Let me just enter all of that in the computer, and we'll go from there."

Heading back to the truck 20 minutes later, Luke took Robbie's hand in his as they crossed the parking lot.

"Do we have a phone now? Can we call Mommy tonight?" Robbie asked.

"Not tonight, Robbie, she's out in the rain forest still. She'll call us at the Inn as soon as she's near a phone again."

"Oh. But what if we're at the store? Does she know that number?"

"We'll leave the number at the Inn so when she calls they can tell it to her. We won't have the new phones until Monday."

"Okay. Has Mommy ever seen the big green truck?"

"Sure, lots of times."

Luke put the truck into gear, and backed out of the space, aware of a niggling, anxious feeling. Rachel. He hadn't thought of her very often over the past few days, since the phone call the other night, and he felt vaguely guilty about that, and for choosing phone numbers and other semi-permanent things without her.

* * *

Back in Stars Hollow, Luke pulled up to his childhood home. They got out of the truck and headed for the front door, which was open but with the screen door in place. Luke rapped on the frame of the door, but no one answered. Robbie peered through the screen, while Luke took a step back and listened. He thought he heard voices in the backyard. "Sounds like they're out back." They walked down the steps and followed the path around the back. There they saw a little girl who looked about Robbie's age playing in a sand box. Her mother kneeled nearby, one hand holding a baby, maybe about six months old, making sure he didn't topple into the sand. Luke slowed his steps and said hello in a moderate voice, not wanting to startle them.

The woman looked up in response. "Hello. Can I help you?"

"I'm Luke Danes, your, um, landlord?"

"Mr. Danes! Pleased to meet you. I'm Sarah O'Neil." She straightened up, brushing dirt from her jeans and glancing down to make sure the baby was still upright. She held out her hand as Luke approached.

"Call me Luke, please. And this is my son Robbie."

"Hi!"

"Hi Robbie. This is Maeve, and the baby is Liam."

"I hope it's okay, just stopping by."

"Of course! We're just hanging out here in the sandbox." She glanced down at Liam, who had just gotten a mouthful of sand and was making faces. "Oops!" She scooped him up and brushed his mouth with her fingers. "I better take him inside. Could you watch Maeve for just a minute?"

Luke nodded. "Go ahead in."

"Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Tea would be good, if you have it?"

"Sure. I'll be back out in a jiffy."

Luke watched her walk towards the house, the baby rubbing his face on her shoulder. He looked down at the sandbox where Robbie had settled in on the opposite side from Maeve and had begun running a plastic dune buggy along the sand. Every few seconds he would glance over at Maeve, who appeared to be smoothing out a road with a shovel. Luke watched as Robbie slowly but surely moved his car closer and closer to the road, until, finally reaching it, he looked at Maeve for permission.

"Dune Buggies don't need a road. They can go anywhere," the little girl announced.

Robbie considered that, and picked up a small dump truck instead. "Can this truck go on the road?" he asked.

"Sure!" Maeve said. "Let's make a tunnel!"

"Okay," Robbie agreed.

Luke smiled, and wandered away, looking around his childhood yard. Things looked pretty much the same. There was a pre-fab plastic shed that was new, tucked in the back corner of the yard, and a few pots of what looked to be tomato plants along the edge of the patio. The wooden plank of the swing hanging from the old oak tree had been replaced, but the thick ropes holding it up, hung so many years ago by his dad, were still in place. His eyes swept the lawn and were drawn toward the back fence, where a row of lush green plants formed a hedge. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat – his mom's miniature rose bushes had been replaced. Glancing back at the sandbox to make sure Robbie and Maeve were still peacefully playing, he walked back toward the hedge. He looked closely at the new plants and suddenly realized they were still the roses, but clear of leaves and dead branches and now flourishing. They hadn't looked anything like this, even before his mom had died. He squatted and touched a leaf, and saw the very beginning of a bud. He looked over the rest of the bushes and saw that they too were covered in little pre-buds. He stood and turned as he heard Sarah come up behind him.

"All clean?" Luke addressed Liam, who looked at him intently.

"All clean," Sarah agreed. "Plus a fresh diaper, and a bottle ready to go. If you could take him for a minute, I'll get the tea and meet you on the patio?"

"Sounds good." Luke reached out for the baby and the bottle, and Sarah headed back toward the house again. Luke cleared his throat and said, "Thank you for bringing these roses back to life. We had really let them go."

Sarah turned back. "They're lovely. That first spring we were here, the sweetest little pink flowers popped up, just a few on each bush, and I made it my mission to clear them out, get them thriving again. I love roses."

"My mom did too. After she died, we just kind of let them be. Thanks for bringing them back."

"You're welcome."

Liam began to bat at the bottle, so Luke went ahead and moved to the patio table, sat down, and settled Liam on his lap. "Ready?" he asked, automatically testing the heat of the formula on his wrist, then licking it up. He made a slight face while easing the nipple into Liam's mouth, and watched as the little boy began to eagerly suck it down. "Don't know how you can like this stuff, buddy."

Sarah approached with a laden tray. "I know," she laughed, "I'm not sure how something can be so gross and so bland, all at the same time. You're a natural though."

"Just like riding a bike."

"Sorry for foisting him off on you."

"No problem. It's good to hold a baby again."

"How old is Robbie?"

"Four. He'll be five in August."

"Maeve is four as well – her birthday's next month." Sarah finished pouring two cups of tea from an earthenware pot. "How do you take your tea? It's strong – real stuff, from Ireland."

"Half a teaspoon of sugar, and milk. Thanks for fixing it."

"It's a pleasure to do something with both hands for once. I got juice and bananas for the kids if they get hungry." They glanced over at the sandbox, where Robbie and Maeve were still fully absorbed. "And pumpkin bread for us."

"Wow, thanks."

"No trouble. I'm a typical at home parent, desperate for adult company. I hope I'm not keeping you too long. You probably just came to talk business, see the house, and I'm making it into a social call."

"No, I'm fine, no rush. We've got a day full of errands, so I'm happy to give Robbie a chance to play for a little while." Luke took a sip from his mug. "And the tea is great."

"Thanks. It's Ryan's favorite."

"Is he still working in Hartford?" Luke asked.

"Yes, though he changed firms a few months ago. Smaller place, more responsibility, plus more money."

"Sounds good."

"Yes, but all of that brings us to the business of the house…" Sarah hesitated.

"Yeah? I wondered what your plans were."

"And we you. For a while we talked about buying it, we do love it. Not that we knew if you wanted to sell for sure, but Joanna at the bank said you would probably consider it."

"Probably," Luke agreed.

"But – this new job of Ryan's puts him on the opposite side of the city, which has added about 45 minutes to his commute. Not to mention how grumpy he is when he gets here. It's been really hard, what with the new baby and all."

"I can imagine," Luke nodded.

"So, we're talking about buying closer to the city – the northwest suburbs."

"That makes sense."

"Is that a problem for you?"

"No, of course not. Your lease is up at the end of June, and I'm back in town, so I knew things might change."

"Are you going to move in?"

"I don't think so. Maybe."

"Torn?" Sarah asked.

"I think it may be too much, to move back in where I grew up. And it's a little more space than we need, and we could use the money, from selling it."

"Too much space? You only have one less kid than us."

"Well, yeah, but most of the time it's just me and Robbie – we don't need that much space."

"Aren't you married? Don't you think you might have more kids?" Sarah asked.

Luke started. "No, I don't think so."

"Oh I'm sorry, are you separated? Getting divorced?"

Luke felt a shock go through him. "No, no, we're not... it's just, she travels. All the time, all over the world. And we've always just had rooms, or apartments."

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry. I think I've been hanging out with Miss Patty too much." She smiled.

"No, it's okay."

Luke broke off a piece of pumpkin bread and ate it. "Anyway, the main thing is I'd like to use the money to renovate my dad's old store and office."

Just then Robbie and Maeve ran up. "Daddy, we built a whole city! Roads and bridges and tunnels."

"Any buildings?" Luke asked.

"Oh, no. We forgot those." Robbie looked at Maeve with a frown.

She waved her hand. "It's okay, a city doesn't have to have buildings."

"It doesn't?"

Now Maeve frowned as well. "Maybe it's an underground city?"

"Cool."

Sarah laughed. "You two ready for a snack?" They both nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, brush off the sand, then go in and wash your hands." Sarah leaned over to take Liam, who had finished eating and was looking sleepy, from Luke. "Let me just go put him in his crib, then we can talk details."

"Okay."

When Robbie and Maeve ran back out from washing up, Luke got them settled with their juice and a half banana each. Sarah came back out, and gave them each a small slice of pumpkin bread as well.

"So, how sure is your decision to move?" Luke asked.

"Pretty sure. We looked a lot last fall, just before Liam was born. Now with the new job and raise, I think we can be more focused."

"How long do you think you'll need?"

"Well, the end of June might be rushing it. But on the other hand we'd want to be living in district by August so that Maeve can start kindergarten in her new school. So if we haven't found a house, or closed on one by then, we'll need to rent an apartment there. Would you want us out right at the end of June?"

"No, a one or two month extension would be fine. If I decide to sell, though, it will probably mean lots of potential buyers coming through."

"That's okay, of course."

"I think that this will work, then." Luke took one more swallow of tea. "Delicious. Thank you again."

"No problem. Shall we bring all this in and take a look around the house? We kept it up well, I think you'll find."

"Sure. And I'm sure it's all fine. Mostly I want to remind myself of how much crap I left here." He laughed.

"Come on kids, bring in your plates. Then Maeve can show you her toys, Robbie."

Robbie's eyes lit up, and when they all headed inside.

Luke slowly moved from room to room, pondering whether he would want to live here again. When he had hurriedly packed up the house five years ago, anxious to get away from the emptiness and eager to get to a pregnant Rachel, he had been determined never to live here again. If he hadn't been in such a hurry, he probably would've sold it then and there. But he allowed Joanna, who he was working with to manage his financial affairs, talk him into renting. Now, five years later, much more at peace with the loss of his mom and dad, he considered staying here. He felt content, looking around each room, remembering the view from each window, but part of what was making him happy was seeing the life of a new family living here, not memories of his own childhood.

He did a quick survey of the corners of the attic and basement, and the two closets, where he had left things, then headed out to look at the camping equipment stored in the garage. The cots and sleeping bag seemed to be in good shape. He was glad, he liked the idea of camping out with Robbie.

Sarah poked her head around the door from the kitchen. "How's it going?"

"Oh fine thanks. Just checking out the camping equipment. Robbie and I are going to be roughing it for a few weeks, above the store, while I convert it to an apartment. I'll need to come back for the equipment over the weekend, if that's okay."

"Sure," Sarah agreed easily. "We should be around and if not, you have keys?"

"Oh, right, I need to pick them up at the bank. Thanks for the reminder." He followed her back into the kitchen and then followed the sound of children's voices to the living room, where he found Robbie and Maeve happily building another town, this time out of blocks, emphasis still heavy on roads and bridges. He gave Robbie a two minute warning, and turned back to Sarah. "Maybe I should give you a call tonight or tomorrow, set a time to come by on the weekend when Ryan's here too? We can discuss logistics further, make sure that timetable really works?"

"That would be fine, any time tonight after seven is great."

"Great. We're at the Independence Inn through the weekend, if you need to reach me, but I'll definitely call you tonight. And thanks again for keeping the house so nicely, and making us so welcome this morning."

"No problem. Always great to have someone to play with Maeve, and like I said, another adult to talk to makes my day." She smiled, and Luke nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Robbie, time to head out."

Robbie reluctantly rose. "Can we come back?"

Luke nodded, "Yes, we're coming back this weekend."

Maeve jumped up and down and clapped her hands. "I'll keep our city all set up."

"Okay," Robbie agreed.

"Alright, bye now," Luke said.

* * *

Luke once again stood guard as Robbie hopped down from the truck, and held his hand as they entered the bank. Luke headed right, toward a row of desks opposite from the tellers. Before he could tell the receptionist who he was looking for, Joanna Walters rose from her desk and headed toward him.

"Luke, welcome back! It's so good to see you. And this must be Robert."

"I'm Robbie." He held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you Robbie. Come, both of you sit." She lead them back to her desk and gestured to the two chairs in front. She picked up a bowl of lollipops from her desk and looked questioningly at Luke. When he nodded his permission, she held the bowl out to Robbie. "Here, sweetie, have a lollipop."

"Thanks!" Robbie said, going straight for a green one.

With Robbie thus occupied, Joanna turned to Luke. "When did you get back?" "Tuesday. I wanted to make an appointment to go over everything – sometime next week? And to pick up the house keys. I just came from there and Sarah reminded me that the set was here."

"No problem, I can get them from your file in just a minute. When did you want to come in next week?"

"Tuesday? Wednesday? Does that give you enough time to get everything in order to transfer back to me?"

"Tuesday is fine. 11 AM?"

"Sounds good. Thanks, Joanna. And thank you for managing everything so smoothly this whole time."

"It's been my pleasure. Your dad was one of our oldest and best customers, we're glad to have been able to manage things for you while you were away."

"Oh, well, we'll get going now."

"Let me just get those keys," Joanna reminded him.

"Oh, right." Luke felt stupid. He wasn't sure why Joanna, and bankers in general, made him so nervous. Maybe because when he came here five years ago, he had no idea what he was doing. Joanna had had to teach him a lot quickly, and to prod him towards decisions regarding his dad's investments, setting up an account for Liz that she couldn't raid all at once, taxes, rental agreements. It had all been overwhelming, and he had felt like an idiot. She'd always been perfectly nice about it, but he still felt dumb. Five years apparently didn't make that feeling go away.

Joanna came back with the keys. "Here you go."

"Thank you. I'll see you on Tuesday. 11am?"

"Yes, see you then."

He and Robbie headed out. "She was nice, Daddy. She gave me a lollipop."

"Good, huh?" Luke squeezed his son's shoulder.

* * *

After his nerves at the bank, he was happy to be back on the road, headed towards old friends and their familiar restaurant.

Robbie finished the lollipop, and looked out the window. "The trees are different here," he said after a while.

"How so, bud?"

"They're taller, and greener. There's more shade."

"I think you're right. Do you like them?"

"Yup."

They drove on in a comfortable silence.

* * *

"Lucas Danes, you are a sight for sore eyes."

"Maisie." Luke found himself enveloped in the small woman's arms, and gave back as good as he got.

Just as quickly, she pushed him away, and rapped his upper arm. "Though why you should get a hug when you've stayed away so long, I don't know. Buddy!" she turned and yelled. "Come see who's here." At her shout, the few early lunch patrons looked over, but Maisie ignored them. "And this must be Robert. Pleased to meet you," she said, and held out her hand to him.

He shook it. "Nice to meet you."

"Buddy!"

"I'm here, I'm here, you don't have to yell… Luke! You're back! Isn't this just wonderful." Buddy shook his hand with both of his, beaming his happiness.

"And this is Robert, Luke's son. Say hello to him too."

"Okay, okay. Hello Robert, Buddy here." Buddy turned his broad grin on Robbie, who shook his hand as well.

"Okay, enough small talk. Come sit down and we'll bring you some lunch. Hope you're ready for some good old American cooking, after traipsing all over the world for so long." Maisie shook her head in mock disapproval.

Luke smiled, having not been able to get a word in edgewise until now. "Nice to see you too, Maisie. And yes, we're ready for your delicious food."

"And Rachel? Where's your lovely girl?" Buddy asked.

"Your lovely _wayward_ girl..." added Maisie.

"Still in Brazil. She'll catch up with us soon." Luke felt Maisie's eyes rest on him, and took that moment to unfold his and Robbie's napkins.

"Buddy, get back in the kitchen, start making something good. Lucas, Robbie, what can I get you to drink?"

"Can I have a coke?" Robbie asked.

Maisie jumped in when Luke hesitated. "Let him have a coke. Your dad and mom always let you drink cokes here."

"Okay okay. You haven't gotten any less bossy, have you Maisie?" Luke asked.

"Not a lick less. Ice water for you? Be right back." Maisy walked back toward the kitchen.

Robbie looked up at Luke. "She's very bossy."

"I know. But she's a very nice lady and an old friend, so she's allowed."

Maisie came back out with their drinks. "Lunch'll be out in a few minutes. Relax and enjoy – afterwards I'll be asking you a lot of questions about your plans."

Luke laughed. "Looking forward to it Maisie. I actually need your advice."

Maisie gave him a sharp look, clearly surprised at his answer, and Luke grinned back at her.

"You're different."

"Could be. It's been five years."

"I'm not sure if I like that."

Luke just smiled.

Just then Buddy came out with two dishes. "Try this out. This is my version of clams casino – interesting little twist to the filling, see if you can figure it out. And this is our classic BLT salad – you ever have that?"

Luke shook his head no.

"Hmm," Buddy said. "Can something be a classic if it's less than five years old? I don't know. All I know is that it's one of our most popular dishes. Maisie says it's the bacon, everyone loves bacon. I think that it's either that or the avocado, but avocado is sort of a love/hate item you know? As many ask us to leave it off as leave it on... My money is on the buttermilk dressing, now that I think of it."

"Buddy, shut up and let the boys eat, and bring more food when it's ready."

Luke started to protest but Maisie quelled him with a look.

Fifteen minutes and three more dishes later, Robbie declared, "This is a lot of food!"

"Yup. It always is. Just take a taste of whatever looks good – don't worry about finishing it."

"Okay." Robbie took another of the clams, and pulled a few cherry tomato halves from the salad, and went back to eating his bowl of pasta. Luke himself was already stuffed, but he gamely added some of the pasta to his plate, plus half a stuffed pepper, knowing that if he didn't try at least some of everything, Buddy and Maisie would be hurt. They took their food very seriously.

They took their restaurant very seriously, as well. Which is why he wanted their advice and tutelage. He watched Maisie greet each lunch patron with a smile and a teasing remark, seating them and then watching to make sure a server was there to get drink orders right away. He watched Buddy come out from the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron and then making the rounds of the tables, stopping and chatting with the regulars, and allowing Maisie to introduce him to the new customers, amiably accepting their compliments to the chef. Luke wasn't sure if he would be able to replicate this warm atmosphere on his own, but he wanted to try.

He glanced down at Robbie, who had pushed his plate out of the way and had his arms on the table, his head resting upon them as he stared into space. "Whatcha thinkin', buddy?"

Robbie didn't look up. "I like this place. It smells like Nonno Gianni's did in Italy."

"You're right. Must be the garlic. Buddy loves garlic."

Maisie swooped by, a busboy in her wake. "You all done? You give up tea for coffee while you were over in Europe?"

"Not really," Luke replied. "Used to have a cappuccino from time to time in Italy."

"I'll bring you a cappuccino. He ready for a nap?" She tilted her head toward Robbie.

"Soon. He'll probably sack out right here on the seat if that's okay? While we talk?"

"Sure. Be right back."

By the time the table was clear, Maisie was back, bearing the cappuccino for Luke, and a little plastic square puzzle for Robbie. "Here Robbie, give this a try." Robbie eagerly began sliding the numbered squares around, trying to get them in order, eventually laying his head down on Luke's thigh and stretching his little legs out over the bench seat as he concentrated on the puzzle. Maisie looked around, saw that everyone was served and happy, and sat down across from Luke. "So what's your plan? You back for good?"

"Yup."

"Yup? That's it? Talk to me, Lucas."

"Well, we're back. I want Robbie to be in school here in the states, to stay in one place, and I want that too. And here is home."

"And Rachel?"

Luke shrugged. "Rachel's Rachel."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means that nothing has changed with her. She's a woman with a dream, a woman on a mission to photograph the world, and she wants to keep on doing that. And I support that. So, she'll keep on doing that, but with us back here in Stars Hollow."

"You'll see her less." Maisie observed.

"Probably. But who knows. She may take shorter assignments, so that she can come home more frequently. She may be able to get some commissions, to do her own stuff, so that her schedule is more her own. She and her partner, they've been working on a possible book. They'll be back here, in New York, sometime soon, to see if they can find any takers."

"Sounds iffy."

"It is, which is another reason for me to be back, to figure out a way to make some money."

"And how will you do that?"

"Funny you should ask," Luke replied. "I want to open a restaurant. In Stars Hollow. Turn Dad's store into a diner, or a café. I want you and Buddy to teach me how to do that. I'll shadow you for a bit, if you'll have me, to learn the ropes." He paused.

Maisie looked at him appraisingly. "I'll get Buddy," she said.

Luke sipped his cooling cappuccino, frowning at the combination of bitter and sweet. Maisie disappeared into the kitchen, then emerged to help check out a few customers. She came back to Luke's table with her own cappuccino, and a plate of cookies. "Try these. We usually stick them in the ice cream, all fancy, but they taste good on their own too."

Luke took a bite as ordered, and nodded his approval.

"Buddy will be out in a minute," Maisie said. "We're going to run you through the gauntlet before we decide. Don't think you get a pass just because you're the only son of my oldest and dearest friend, and that I love you like a son." She glared at him.

Luke smiled and looked down at his hands. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Buddy came bustling over, carrying two bowls of ice cream, each with the lacy cookie standing up from it. Luke groaned. "You two are killing me."

Buddy saw that Robbie was sleeping, sat down near his feet, and dug into the ice cream himself. "Oh well, more for me. So, what's up? Maisie says you want to talk to us?"

"Yup. I'm back, back for good, and I want to open a restaurant, and I want you and Maisie to advise me."

"Ah, Luke, that's wonderful! Best business in the world, the restaurant business."

"Ha!" exclaimed Maisie. "It is _not_ the best business in the world. It's hard work, miserable hours, open most holidays, and full of risk. Customers are fickle, workers are unreliable and sometimes addicted to drugs and usually stupid, and the money stinks."

"The money doesn't stink," Buddy protested. "We've made a good living for years now."

"We're the exception. Now come on, let's not sugar coat things for the boy, we have to help him see if he's really ready to take this on. And we're certainly not taking him on here if he's not serious about this."

Luke jumped in. "I am serious about this. I've been planning it for years, since before I even left. You know I'm not afraid of hard work. I was the best dishwasher you ever had, for starters."

"Well, that's true," Maisie conceded. "And I never once caught you smoking out back, or making out with a waitress."

"I've never smoked in my life. I may have to take the fifth on the waitress thing though."

Buddy grinned, and Maisie scowled. "I'm sure you're very proud of yourself," she said. "Let's get serious. Where will you get the money for this? It doesn't sound like you and Rachel are swimming in the dough."

"We're not. She makes an okay amount, but it's variable. I've got some money from my dad – he saved a fair amount, probably for me and Liz to go to college, and when neither of us did, he invested it pretty wisely. I'll be going over the specifics with the bank next week."

"It takes a lot of money up front. You're starting from scratch – all that kitchen and refrigeration equipment, plus converting the space."

"I know. Most likely, I'll have to sell the house."

Buddy looked over at him. "You okay with that? Will Rachel be?"

"I don't think Rachel will care, honestly, though of course I'll discuss it with her first. As for me – well, it'll be hard. I was there this morning, and now that I'm not a zombie like I was after Dad died, it felt okay to be there. But if I have to choose, and I think I probably will, I'd rather keep the store than the house. More practical, plus fewer sad memories."

Buddy cleared his throat, and Masie's expression softened momentarily. But then she jumped in again. "You aren't the friendliest guy. Downright shy and tongue-tied until you were about 16. Small-town restaurants need to be warm and friendly to survive, how are you going to do that?"

"Jeez, Maisie, I'm not 16 anymore. I've lived in four foreign countries over the past four years, and hell, San Francisco was pretty foreign too. You think I haven't learned to be social, to get along with people? And besides, I'll make sure I hire staff that's friendly and good with people." Luke's mind flashed to Lorelai. Someone friendly and efficient like her would be great.

"True," Maisie continued, "but hiring people costs money. Not just salary but taxes, and benefits."

"Well yeah. I'm going to figure that all out, run the numbers. I'm a careful guy, you know that. Dad taught me that. I won't get in over my head."

"It's inherently risky."

"I know. But I'm young. If it doesn't work out, I'll go work for someone else, or do construction again, rebuild my savings. I want to do this."

Buddy, who'd been quiet this whole time, jumped in. "Talk to me about the food. You gotta be passionate about the food."

"Well, the food's going to be great. Nothing fancy, but good. Typical diner food: breakfast, lunch, dinner, though I'll probably build up to having all three services gradually. But I want to do it right: fresh ingredients, local if they can be. Ed Tallman's eggs for breakfast, local fruit in the summer and fall."

"Local is expensive," commented Maisie.

"Yes and no. In France and Italy, I worked at small restaurants where they had long-standing relationships with the local farmers. It worked out. I don't need to make huge profits. I want to build to a steady income, enough to live on plus some left over. We have 13 years to save up enough to send Robbie to college, and 40 some-odd years to save up enough to retire on. I'm a simple guy, that hasn't changed and probably won't. And Rachel does make money. She's built a pretty good reputation over the past few years and it will likely only get better."

"You started talking about food but ended up talking about money," Buddy grumbled.

"Okay, food," Luke replied. "I love food. I love cooking. You can't live in Europe for three years and not appreciate good food and good cooking. I learned to cook vegetables the right way, and meat, to bake bread and hand-make pasta. My home fries will be just right. Too many diners have lousy, greasy homefries. I learned an Italian version – butter, olive oil, garlic and potatoes. That's it. Golden brown, crusty, and delicious. I'll experiment until my burgers are the best in Connecticut. And my dinner specials, that's where I'll get creative. Not at first, but once I've got a routine, I'll start adding in some variety."

Buddy smiled. "Okay, you've convinced me. When do you start?"

"Not so fast," Maisie said. "How are you going to do all this and take care of Robbie?"

Luke sighed. "Like any other working parent. Like you juggled the restaurant and raising three kids."

"But I had Buddy."

Luke felt his temper rising. "Then I'll handle it like any other _single_ working parent does. Maisie, I understand your concerns, I appreciate your concerns, but I'm doing this. This is my dream, my chance to build something of my own. It's my time. I will put everything I have into making it work – and if it's not working, I'll make adjustments, and if it fails completely, I'll try something else. I'd love to have your training and guidance, because you guys have made this work for over 20 years, and I think you can teach me a lot. Either way I'm doing this." Luke took a deep breath at the end of this speech, looked down at his hands, then back up at his two old friends, looking each squarely in the eye.

"Okay," Maisie said.

"Okay?" Luke replied.

"Okay, okay, we're all good," Buddy smiled. "When do you start?"

* * *

Luke carried a still-sleepy Robbie out to the truck and buckled him in. He headed back to Stars Hollow, pleased to have gotten the green light to work with Maisie and Buddy, and still a little annoyed at the grilling.

He supposed he should feel anxious at what he was proposing to do, but instead his same feeling of calm prevailed. Maybe he was being naïve, but he just had a feeling, deep in his bones, that this was going to work.


	8. Packing Up and Letting Go

_**Author's Note:**_ Continued thanks for all of the review, follows, and favorites! Thanks for hanging in there through a couple of "Luke doing errands and talking to lots of people" chapters. There's a bit more of Lorelai in this one, and a few other familiar folks you know and maybe love...

From time to time I'll stop for a minute to talk about what makes **deepfriedcake** such a wonderful person to work with on writing. All of you hopefully know what an amazing writer she is: she's also an amazing reader, editor, and cheerleader. One thing she does that I particularly treasure is that as soon as possible after reading what I've sent, she sends back what I think of as the "email of reassurance". They go something like this: "I've only read it once so far but it's FABULOUS! More later but let me just say that I loved loved loved THIS line... " And I read it and I let out a sigh of relief and smile like a goofball for at least 10 minutes. Because as many of you who are authors know, there's nothing quite like that nervous feeling when you hit "send" and let someone else read your words. So thanks, **DFC**, for always making me feel assured.

* * *

**Packing Up and Letting Go**

_**(still) Thursday, April 16, 1992**_

Luke felt slightly less certain as he once again faced the upstairs mess. But he had a tangible goal. Make the upstairs livable or at least "camp-able" by Monday, and have the stuff he was getting rid of somewhat organized by late Saturday, when Marcy Klein came.

48 hours. Two days. Just him, Robbie, and the stuff. No more running around doing errands and talking to people – just him and his muscles and his brain. He could do this.

* * *

Several hours later he had made some headway. Sticking to the downstairs and the shelves where he and Robbie had stacked the items carried from upstairs, he did a rough sort. He used the yes-no-maybe system he and Rachel had perfected over the years of frequent moves. The "maybe" pile was a little bigger than he wanted, and the "no" pile smaller, but it was a start. He'd have to call Liz tonight, to see if there was anything she needed or wanted. That would help him move a lot from the maybe pile. He took a break to stretch out his back, and walked over to the corner by the front window, where Robbie had set himself up with some Matchbox cars from his travel backpack. He had found some pieces of wood of different shapes and sizes and had built a series of ramps to run them up and down, thus happily keeping to himself for the past few hours.

Luke glanced at his watch, and seeing that it was almost four, stepped outside the door to look for Lorelai and the girls. He scanned the town square, mostly full of school kids this time of day.

"Luke!"

He turned his head to see Rory running towards the store, tugging a ponytailed girl along with her. "Rory. How was Girl Scouts?" He smiled at Lorelai, coming up behind them.

"Oh, it was okay. This is my friend Lane Kim. This is Luke, Robbie's dad."

"Hello Lane, nice to meet you." Luke offered Lane his hand to shake.

She looked at Rory and giggled, then shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Luke."

"It's just Luke."

"I'm not allowed to call grown-ups by their first name."

"Hey!" Loelai protested, "You call me Lorelai all the time. I don't count as a grown up?"

"Duh, Mom," Rory said.

Lane piped in, "Actually, that's mostly because if I call you Miss Gilmore, mama gets upset all over again that you don't have a husband."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. Luke smiled and said, "My parents were really strict about Mr. and Mrs. too, but I'd rather just be Luke."

"Okay," Lane agreed, "but you better tell me your last name, in case I ever see you when my mom's around."

"It's Danes. I'm Luke Danes."

"Where's Robbie?" Rory asked.

"Right inside. Go ahead in, just be careful of all the stuff."

"Okay," they called as they headed into the store.

"Want to come in too?" Luke asked Lorlelai.

"Sure."

"It's kind of a mess," Luke apologized.

Lorelai looked around. "Hmm, maybe you could just open it as a flea market and be done with it."

"Good idea."

"This was your dad's store?"

"Yup."

"Is it weird to come back to it all closed up?"

"Yeah, kind of. When I left, it was just after my dad died, and things had slowed way down already. But I was able to rent it out to a guy that kept it going, so in my mind it was open and thriving." Luke paused for a moment. "So yeah, it's weird to come back and deal with it being closed. But mostly it just makes me want to finish getting it cleared out, and get it opened as something new."

"Which will be?"

"A restaurant – I'm thinking diner." Luke grinned.

"Really? You liked our idea?"

"Well, actually, a restaurant's been my plan since before I even left."

"Ah, sneaky," Lorelai commented. "You didn't let on, yesterday."

"Yeah, it's kind of been my own little secret for a while."

"Bummer, I thought we'd been your inspiration. Then you would have had to name it after us."

"Open up your own restaurant, then you can name it after yourselves."

"You're no fun." Lorelai wandered among the shelves. "What are you going to call it?"

"I have no idea."

"Would you take suggestions?"

"Sure," Luke said dryly.

Lorelai looked at him. "Why do I have the feeling you're lying?"

"I have no idea," Luke smiled. "Want the tour of the mess? Or would you rather come back in a few days once I've cleaned up?"

"Both," Lorelai said. "That way I can get the full before and after effect."

"Okay, and hey, if you see anything you could use, grab it. I've got a bunch of stuff from my old house as well as the store, a lot of it's hopefully going away Saturday, so feel free to take anything you could use."

"It's all yours to give away?" she asked.

"Yeah, besides me it's just my sister Liz. She's in New York. I'm going to check with her on what she might want, but I don't think it'll be much. She and my nephew move a lot, and she doesn't like to have a lot of stuff to slow her down." "Free spirit, eh?"

"That's one way of putting it." Luke frowned slightly.

"Ah, I can see we will be trading more fun family stories in the future."

Luke smiled. "So. This is the main area, of course, and there are some storage rooms back here." He gestured vaguely, then began to climb the stairs. "Upstairs is my dad's old office, but I'm going to turn it into an apartment for us."

Lorelai followed him into the space, and looked around. "Hmm, really?"

Luke laughed. "Really. You'll have to come back after it's cleared up, you'll see."

"Well, it gets nice light, I can see that. And there's a bathroom already?"

"Yeah, just a toilet and sink though. I'll have to add a tub, or at least a shower."

"It'll be cozy."

"Yeah, but we're used to cozy."

"Yeah, Rory and I are too," Lorelai agreed. She looked around the room once more. "Hey, I should go, get the kids back to the Inn, let you get more work done." "Okay," Luke agreed, noticing how quickly she veered away from the topic of where she lived. They started down the stairs. "Is it okay if I get back by about seven?" he asked.

"Sure, that's fine. Should I have Robbie wait to have dinner with you?"

"Nah, if he's hungry he doesn't have to wait. But we both got stuffed at lunch by our old friends, so it may be a while. Either way."

Lorelai nodded as they came to a stop in front of the three kids, all on their knees and racing cars. "Okay kids, let's motor."

The girls stood up and waited while Robbie packed his cars into his backpack.

"You have everything?" Luke asked him.

"Yup." Robbie held his bag up for him to see.

Luke fastened the second buckle, then bent down and kissed his head. "Have fun, be good, I'll see you in a few hours."

"Bye Daddy!"

"Bye Luke," Rory called and Lane echoed.

"Bye everyone, bye Lorelai, and thanks."

Lorelai waved and they were off.

* * *

With almost three hours to himself, Luke headed upstairs. The small amount of stuff they'd moved downstairs the first day back made just enough room that he could start the same yes-no-maybe process on this bigger mess. It was a hopeless jumble of stuff: boxes of hardware that his dad had not been able to sell, mixed in with file boxes filled with old papers from the business, as well as family belongings from the old house. As he opened each bag or box, Luke tried to make quick, clearheaded choices, but it was hard not to get bogged down in the memories. He wished he had been more organized when he had left, because the mix of all of it meant that each item he opened could be boring business files, to be sorted through later, or a box of old picture books, the smell and familiar covers bringing back some of his earliest memories of his mom reading to him and Liz. Memories came in two waves: recalling the hurried, almost panicked packing up he had done five years ago, and those evoked by the objects themselves.

He worked steadily though the piles, stopping occasionally to bring more items downstairs, or to drink some water. As the afternoon light began to dwindle, and he reached behind a row of large boxes in one of the far corners of the room, his hand fell on an old garbage bag. He pulled it up from behind the boxes, and three more like it. He knew immediately what they contained, even though he had completely forgotten that they were here until this moment.

When he had first started packing up the house five years ago, he'd been pretty ruthless in getting rid of things. His urgency in getting to Rachel had helped steel him against the emotional part of letting go of stuff. When he'd gotten to his dad's room, which he'd been dreading, he had less trouble than he thought. He set aside two of his dad's old blue work shirts, one for him and one for Liz, and a few old handkerchiefs that his mom had embroidered his dad's initials on, and a few ties. He packed up everything else that was still in good enough condition for charity. The act of going through the familiar clothing was hard; not keeping them was easy.

But behind his dad's few suits and some winter coats in the second closet, he found a second rod, and discovered that his dad had kept almost all of his mom's old clothes. Luke had had no idea her clothes were still there, though a part of him was not at all surprised. He backed away from the closet and sat for a moment on the bed, where his dad had never stopped sleeping on "his" side. He thought about his dad being unable to let go of his mom, even after twelve years. After a little while, he'd left the room, vowing to do the next day what his father couldn't.

Instead, he avoided their room. He packed up the rest of the house, circling from room to room, paring down what was left until there were just a handful of boxes each stored in the basement, attic, and two small closets, one upstairs and one down. He boxed up family mementos and heirlooms, photographs and albums, old hatboxes filled with letters, dried corsages and souvenirs from state fairs and trips to Coney Island. These were the boxes he carried to the store, tucking them wherever there was space among the growing number of boxes of rejected hardware.

Finally, at the last possible moment of the last day before the cleaning company was due to make the house ready for renting, Luke returned to his parents' bedroom. Still avoiding the closet with his mom's things, he checked everywhere else one last time. He filled one more small box with items of his dad's he wanted for himself, Liz, and maybe to give to his nephew Jess one day. He checked between the mattress and box spring, just in case his Dad had been a secret cash hoarder - no such luck.

He approached the closet, and opened the door. Could remnants of her perfume last this long, or was it just his imagination? Either way, it was his undoing. As frustrated as he was with his dad for not being able to let go, he couldn't handle it either. Not wanting to even take the time to remove the dresses and other items from the hangers, he ran to the garage and grabbed several large Hefty bags. Back in the room, he simply stuffed everything that was left into four bags, tied them up, and threw them in the back of his truck with the other boxes. When he arrived back at the store, he carried them up, two bags in each hand, and tossed them as far back into the mess as he could. Out of sight, out of mind.

Back in the present, staring at the four bags, Luke felt those same waves of panic wash over him. He straightened up and went to the window, opening it wider to catch the early evening breeze. He looked out over the square, taking deep breaths to calm himself. He tried to let the town soothe him, tried not to think, just watched people walking, going in and out of stores, going about their business. He watched a boy throw a ball for his dog.

When he felt calmer, Luke turned back to the bags. Yes, he needed to deal with them, but he decided it didn't have to be this second. He pulled them out of the corner, and lined them up on the couch. Maybe he would ask Mia to go through them with him, to assess whether there was anything he should keep for Liz, and if the condition was good enough on anything to bring it to charity. Decision made, light dwindling, he decided to call it quits for the day and headed back to the Inn.

* * *

Thursday night at the Inn proved to be quiet and short. Luke arrived back to find Lorelai on front desk duty until the overnight clerk came in at nine. Rory and Robbie were in Mia's empty office, reading on her couch. Lorelai had had them wait for their dessert until Luke arrived, so they joined him in the dining room, after he had washed up and changed his shirt. Luke had a light, quick dinner, and still Robbie was yawning by the time Luke was done. They walked to the desk to drop Rory off and say good night to Lorelai.

* * *

Luke sat quietly making lists as Robbie fell asleep, waiting for him to be all the way under before calling Liz. He knew it might be a little early to catch her at home, but he got lucky and she was there. After her initial effusive welcome back, she seemed a little distracted, which kept the conversation shorter than it often was. When he asked her about what things she might want, she mentioned only one or two pieces of jewelry of their mom's and asked him to keep saving the few boxes from her room, and of course the family photo albums.

Luke was about to start saying goodbye when suddenly she asked, "Do you still have Dad's old green army jacket?"

"Yeah – it's been all over the world with me."

"I love that thing. Don't ever toss it, okay, even if it's falling apart?"

"I won't, Liz."

Then, in a quieter voice, she asked, "You know what I still have, of mom's?"

"What?"

"Her apron – the one with the little red and yellow flowers?"

"Oh God, I'd forgotten all about that. You wore that around the house for months after..."

"I did."

"You looked like an idiot, all wrapped up in that."

"I know. You told me that at the time, many times, and thanks for that, by the way, big brother."

Luke was instantly contrite. "Sorry. I know it meant a lot to you. At the time I couldn't figure out why you wanted it, it's not like you ever cooked anything."

"Yeah, the kitchen stuff was all you. I think it was a way to stay wrapped up by her, literally." There was a short silence then Liz spoke again. "I just loved all those cotton prints she used to wear, the aprons, the blouses. All the little flowers. That blue and brown blouse with the clocks on it..."

"Are you sure you don't want me to hang onto the stuff, let you go through it first?" Luke asked.

"Nah, I have the apron. It's not like I'd wear the blouses or anything, so what would I do with them, move them around from apartment to apartment and every once a while take them out to look at?"

"Okay, well if you change your mind, call me at the Inn, or leave a message at Weston's or something. I won't have the phones in the store until Monday."

"Fran Weston, god, how is she?"

"She's good, the bakery's exactly the same."

"Oh, man, those cupcakes."

"You think you might want to come up for a visit once we get settled?" Luke asked softly.

"Maybe, bro, maybe. It's been a long time." Liz was quiet.

"Well, let's talk about it later, once I get things more unpacked. How's Jess?"

"He's good." Liz sounded distracted again. "Listen, Luke, I should get going. Stuff to do, you know."

"Okay, Liz, I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah, thanks for calling. I'll give you a call once you're staying at the store, thanks for the new number."

"Of course. Bye Liz. Take care of yourself and Jess."

"Bye, Luke."

* * *

Friday was another long day of sorting and organizing. Mia convinced Luke to leave Robbie at the Inn for the day again, making it seem like he was doing her the favor. Luke again savored the time alone, with just a few people stopping in to say hello as he worked. He took a break for lunch, sitting at one of the outside tables at the pizza place. Gypsy joined him briefly, and Jackson Belleville, who worked on the farm out on the other side of Ed's, stopped to introduce himself. He'd heard the news from Sookie and Lorelai that Luke might open a restaurant, and wanted to offer himself as produce supplier. Luke was receptive but noncommittal.

By late afternoon, Luke was feeling pretty good. The stuff he was keeping, and the stuff still to be gone through, mostly boxes of business and family papers, were covered up with tarps at either end of the old office. Neatly labeled boxes of the items he was ready to let go of were lined up in front of the tarped areas, and there was actually some open floor space in the middle. Downstairs, Luke had gone one more time through the hardware items, filling a few boxes with objects that he thought might look good on the shelves he pictured running along the walls of his future diner. He liked the idea of keeping part of his dad in the new space.

About 4:30, feeling hot and sweaty, Luke headed to Doose's to get something cold to drink. As he approached the store, he saw Lorelai headed there as well. He waved. "What brings you into town?"

Lorelai waved back. "I'm picking up Rory from Lane's – she went there to play after school. I'm a little early, I was actually going to bring you a popsicle, see how you were doing."

He held the door open for her, his hand hovering near the small of her back to usher her inside. "How's Robbie doing? Any trouble?"

"God, no. We've hardly seen him - he's been with Jaime most of the day, digging and watering. He's in heaven."

"I hope Jaime isn't in hell..."

"No, no, it's a mutual fan club thing. Otherwise we women would have scooped him up and put him to work for us." Lorelai led him back to the freezer case.

"A popsicle, eh?" Luke said, "Haven't had one of those in years. I was coming to get more water."

"Much better than boring old water. Take your pick, my treat."

Luke held one up, trying to decide if it was orange or red through the white wrapping, while Lorelai stepped down and looked at the other treats. "Want something fancier? I may get a Nutty Buddy."

"This close to dinner?"

"I'm hungry, and hot. So it's the perfect time."

Luke smiled. "I'm good with this." He walked over to the refrigerated case and grabbed two bottles of water as well. Lorelai paid for the treats, Luke for the water.

"Want to sit in the gazebo? There might be a decent breeze there," Lorelai asked.

"Sounds good."

They headed over and sat down and there was indeed a bit of a breeze. They sat in companionable silence, enjoying their respective treats.

"How does it feel to come home to this town?" Lorelai asked after a bit.

"Good. Really good. I missed it when I was away, more than I ever thought I would," Luke answered.

Lorelai looked at him closely. "You've decided to stay for good?"

"Yeah, I have. How did you know?"

"I don't know, you just seem different, somehow, than you did a few days ago." She shrugged.

"I made up my mind the other night, after my day alone. More like, admitted what I wanted all along. To be here, to build a life for us here."

"That's how I felt, the minute I stepped off the bus with Rory all those years ago. It just felt like home, a good place to build a life. When I left my parents' house, I had no idea if I could. But I have. I can't imagine living anywhere else."

"Even with all the crazies?"

"Because of all the crazies!" She laughed.

"You must be crazy too, then."

"You must be too, you should know better than me, a non-native."

"Probably."

They turned their attention back to finishing their now-dripping ice cream.

"How's the sorting going?" Lorelai asked.

"Pretty good. I'm getting a little blindsided by some of the stuff I'm coming across...lots of memories."

"Mia told me you lost your mom when you were pretty young."

"Yeah, I was ten."

"I can't imagine losing my parents that young. Or Rory losing me."

"It's unimaginable. Even after it happens. On some level, none of us really fully dealt with it. Especially my Dad."

"And then to lose your Dad so young, too. That sucks."

Luke smiled at her bluntness. "It does suck."

"I mean, I know I already told you that my relationship with my parents is...difficult, but still, I just take for granted them being there."

Luke nodded. "I get sad about different things at different times. Coming back here, talking with all these people who knew my dad, respected him, I've been regretting not getting to know him as a grown up. I mean, we were just starting to get there, him treating me more like an adult, me treating him less like a dad and more like a friend. Really seeing who he was as a man, as a citizen of this town, all that stuff you don't really think about when you're a kid." He paused, frowning a little. "Right before he got diagnosed with cancer, we had this argument..." Luke paused.

"What about?" Lorelai prompted.

Luke hesitated another moment, then went on. "Rachel and I had this whole on-again/off-again thing going on while she was away at college, and her senior year, she came home over Christmas, and it happened that she was single, but I had just started seeing someone, and that hadn't happened for a while. We both had a tendency to make sure we were free when winter or summer breaks were approaching, but this time I wasn't. There was drama, and fighting, and I was really confused about what I wanted to do. Somewhere in the middle of all this, my dad started lecturing me that I needed to be a man, make up my mind, treat both women with respect but that Rachel had to be respectful of me as well."

"Sounds pleasant."

"Yeah. And I just got so mad at him. I yelled, told him that I knew it was a mess, that I was confused, and it might be nice to have someone to talk to and get advice from, and not be lectured at like I was an idiot 14-year-old."

Lorelai smiled. "How did he take that?"

"He laughed, actually, then he said I was right. Could have knocked me over with a feather. I'd never yelled at him like that before, I figured he'd be pissed. But instead he said that I had a point. He said that part of him would always see me as a child, his child, but that he could see the man, too, and there was no reason he couldn't start treating me more like an adult, and that he would try. And that I needed to try too, not keep things from him, treat him like a friend, not just a dad."

"Smart guy."

"He really was. And a good guy, with good advice and always my best interest at heart. So yeah, I miss him as a child misses a parent, but I also feel so cheated out of that chance to be grown-ups with him."

Lorelai nodded. "Huh. I've never thought of it that way-being grown-ups _with_ your parents." She stared into space for a few minutes. "What you just said, that's really smart. If I could stop acting like a child with them, maybe that would help. It's funny, I can feel like a grown up almost all the rest of the time, but as soon as I'm with them, I revert."

"You had to grow up fast, having Rory."

"Nothing like having a kid to make you instantly grow up."

"I know," said Luke. "But it's not that simple, right? It's such a sudden change to be the adult, but still it takes your brain a little while to catch up. And I felt so lost, when Robbie was a baby, so much like I had no idea what I was doing, even as I began to figure it out."

Lorelai nodded emphatically in agreement.

"Anyway," Luke continued, "It makes sense that it would have been hard for you and your parents to change gears so quickly, to adjust to the new situation."

Lorelai continued to look out at the square, thinking. Suddenly she shook her head, and adopted a lighter tone. "Damn, now you're not only good at listening, you're good at making me think. I thought I told you to stop that."

"You're good at listening too, you stop it."

They smiled at each other. Lorelai reached over and turned his arm so she could see his watch. "Oops, I better get going. Mrs. Kim is strict about pick up times. You heading back soon?"

"Yeah I think so. I just need to straighten up a little. You and Rory want a ride back?"

"Sure. We'll swing by in a few minutes?"

"Good."

"Thanks, Luke."

"It's nothing."

"No, I mean, for the food for thought."

"Oh, well, thanks for the popsicle."

* * *

They arrived at the Inn to find a tired Robbie curled up next to Mia on one of the porch swings. He perked up immediately and ran to Luke, hugging him quickly and turning excitedly to Rory. "Can we go see the ducks?" he asked her eagerly. "Mia said we could."

Rory looked at Lorelai and Luke for permission. Luke nodded and Lorelai cautioned, "Just be sure to teach him where it's safe to get close and where it's not." "Okay Mom. Come on, Robbie!"

Mia watched them hurry off. "She's excited to be in charge of him," she observed. "She seems so grown-up compared to him," Lorelai said.

"How was he today?" Luke asked.

"Just fine," Mia answered. "He's now best friends with Jaime, he spent most of the morning with him. Then he begged to be able to eat a sandwich with the whole outdoor crew, so he got to be one of the guys for lunch. He was so dirty after digging and watering all morning, I had him take a bath after lunch. He wasn't very happy with that. Plus it seemed to energize him right at naptime, so I'm afraid he didn't sleep. That's why he's tired."

"That's okay," Luke assured her. "He's starting to skip naps occasionally now, and I may be phasing them out completely over the summer to get him ready for kindergarten."

Lorelai chimed in, "Ah, the loss of the afternoon nap, a dreaded time in any parent's life." Luke and Mia both chuckled.

"Well, I'm going to head home soon," Mia announced. "Lorelai, anything we need to go over?"

"I think we're all set, I covered everything I had at our three o'clock."

"Good. And are we still on for shopping tomorrow morning?"

"Rory and I are game if you are."

"Absolutely. Easter bonnet shopping is our tradition." Mia winked at Luke. "More like Easter bauble and Easter candy shopping. I'll pick you up at 9:30? Get to the mall just as it opens?"

"Sounds good. Thanks Mia."

"You're most welcome dear, I look forward to it. Luke, anything you need?"

"Actually, there is, for tomorrow. If you're not shopping all day, would you be able to come by the store and help me with something?"

"Of course, I can meet you after lunch. What is it?"

"I've got a bunch of my mom's old clothes to go through. I asked Liz about what she might want. She said nothing but at the same time she sounded kind of sad about it. I wondered if you could help me go through them and pick a few things that she might like having. And also, if you think any of it is in good enough shape to give to Goodwill."

"Some of it may even be of interest to a vintage or consignment shop. Your mom had some lovely things," Mia said.

"Yeah, I don't know. I was kind of surprised my dad had kept it all when I found it five years ago-I just kind of shoved it all in garbage bags and tossed it into the mess." Luke felt a little embarrassed.

Mia smiled sympathetically. "Well, I'd be happy to help you. We'll be ending our shopping spree with lunch at Weston's, and I'll head over to you after that."

Luke looked over at Lorelai, "Cookies for lunch on Saturdays?"

She laughed. "Yup. Hey, can we tag along with Mia? I was thinking I might want to take you up on your offer of some things for our shack."

"Sure, that would be great."

Mia headed in to get her purse and briefcase, then came back out and said her goodbyes.

"I'll head out too," Lorelai said to Luke as Mia walked to the parking lot. "Rory and I are headed to a pizza and movie night later, at Sookie's. I'll have Rory walk Robbie back up from the pond?"

"Sounds good. Thanks, Lorelai. Have a good night."

Luke took a moment to sit on the porch steps and relax as he waited for Robbie to return. He felt tired too, emotionally and physically drained. He decided another early night was in order. Maybe room service for dinner, a little TV, and early to bed.

* * *

_Friday, April 17_

The next morning found Luke and Robbie back at the store. Luke set Robbie up in the small room that Bob had used as an office. It was relatively empty, and throughout the day yesterday Luke had brought down boxes with things that Robbie might like to play with. There was the box of childhood books, and two boxes of old plastic toys in dusty packages: yo-yos and paddle balls and miniature tea sets. Cheap toys that his Dad had kept on a rack near the cash register. Bored children, dragged to the hardware store by their parents and tired of waiting on line, would be sure to see them and beg for something, anything. A final box held Luke's old Matchbox cars, plus a small plastic track that had been one of his most prized possessions.

Luke figured this would be enough to keep Robbie happy and occupied for the morning, and Robbie dove right into the boxes with enthusiasm.

This left Luke free to tackle the last big pile of stuff, in the large storeroom. Almost all of it was items from the store, both unwanted inventory and old records. Luke painstakingly opened and went through each box, identifying and labeling. He put most of the hardware out in the hallway for Marcy to look at, and tried to put the boxes of papers in some kind of order, inside the room.

When lunch time rolled around, he was pleased with his progress, and more than happy to take a break. He found Robbie next door reading a book, having abandoned the toy cars that had taken up most of his morning.

"Lunchtime, buddy-pizza or sandwiches?"

"Pizza."

On the way back from lunch, Luke took Robbie to Weston's for the chocolate cookie he had promised on the first day back. They found Mia, Lorelai, and Rory there having lunch.

"Sit, sit," Mia urged.

"How was your shopping?" Luke asked as he pulled up chairs and tried to get his knees comfortably under the small table.

"Excellent," Lorelai declared. "We found silly hats, and did you know that they don't just make yellow chick Peeps anymore?"

"Hmm, no, can't say that I did."

"They don't. We found pink and white ones too."

"And bunnies!" Rory chimed in.

"Sounds great. I knew there was a reason we came back to America."

Lorelai scowled at Luke. "I bet you were one of those children who didn't even finish his Easter basket."

Luke laughed. "Hey, I liked chocolate bunnies and jelly beans as much as the next kid. I did give my Peeps to Liz, though, it's true."

"What are Peeps?" Robbie asked.

Lorelai gasped. "Oh you poor child, wandering around the wilds of Europe, deprived of Peeps."

Robbie looked confused.

"It's a marshmallowy kind of candy for Easter," Rory explained. "I'll give you one later."

"Oh."

Luke handed him a napkin to wipe the chocolate crumbs from his face. "I think we'll head back to the store. Will you still come over?"

Mia nodded. "We'll be along very soon."

"I'm all done," Rory declared, "can I go with them?"

"Sure," Lorelai agreed.

Luke, Robbie and Rory headed out, and once they got back to the store, Robbie wasted no time pulling Rory into his morning's play room and showing her the matchbox set up. "Wow, look at all those cars," Luke heard her say as he left to finish the last few boxes in the storeroom.

When Lorelai and Mia arrived, they left the kids happily playing and headed upstairs. "Hey, you found floor!" Lorelai declared cheerfully.

At the same time Mia said, "Oh, my. What a lot of things."

Lorelai laughed. "Believe me, it looked a lot worse yesterday."

"She's right," Luke agreed. "I can't wait to get this all out of here." He took a deep breath and gestured toward the bags on the couch. "That's my mom's stuff."

Mia moved right in, businesslike and cheerful. "Oh, well, let's get these on the floor, and then we can lay out items by category, on the couch, and see what the condition is."

"Sounds good," Luke agreed. He turned to Lorelai. "You don't have to help with this if you don't want to- did you want to start looking around for what you might want to take, instead?"

"I'm happy to help first. Unless you don't want me to? I didn't know your mom, so maybe it's too personal?"

"No, it's fine, the faster we get through the better," Luke said.

They each tugged a bag off the couch, Luke handling two, and opened them up. Luke and Mia draped dresses, sweaters, blouses, skirts, and pants over the back of the couch. Lorelai, having gotten a bag full of shoes and accessories, began matching pairs and lining them up along the floor, and laying out purses and scarves along the top of one of the rows of boxes.

Mia broke the silence as she smoothed her hands over a purple, blue, and white patterned cocktail dress. "Oh, I remember her buying this one! She loved this dress."

Luke and Lorelai looked over. "Very 1969," Lorelai commented.

"Exactly! How did you know?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Lucky guess."

Mia continued. "Ellen bought this on a shopping trip we took to New York City in the fall of '69. It was on sale at this little boutique in the garment district, and she was so excited to have a 'Manhattan' dress."

"I remember you two going on your shopping trips," Luke said.

"Yes. Such a treat. As soon as the season changed, we'd set a date and do it right. Usually we went to Hartford, but every once in a while we'd go up to Boston or down to New York. Lunch, sometimes a show, we'd make a day of it."

"Sounds fun," Lorelai said wistfully.

"Oh it was. Ellen was so much fun. Different when she was away from you and Liz, Luke. Younger, more carefree. We loved being moms, but we treasured those little breaks." Mia continued to look at the dress, remembering. "The rule was no buying any clothes for kids or husbands, but we could never resist bringing home something little, like a candy, or a toy."

"I definitely remember that part," Luke said. He continued pulling clothes out of the last bag. These were mostly the everyday items. Some blue jeans, simple skirts, and the cotton blouses Liz had been talking about. Mia's words plus the familiar items were bringing back waves of memories, not wholly unpleasant but not comfortable either.

Mia shook her head. "Okay, enough nostalgia from me. Lorelai, take a look through these dresses with me, do you think they'd be of interest to any of those little vintage shops in Woodbridge?"

Lorelai came over and held up a few of the dresses, shaking them out gently and assessing them for wear and tear. "I think it's worth taking them over. She obviously took good care of them, and this type of late '60s stuff is always in demand."

"I think so too. And you'll get a little more money for them, maybe, Luke, than if they get taken along with everything else by the junk lady."

Luke laughed. "Marcy. It doesn't seem very nice to call her the junk lady. Do you think I should keep any of them, for Liz?"

"I don't think so," Mia said. "I don't think they'd fit her, and they're not really her style. Plus really, what do you do with clothes you can't wear?"

"Yeah, that's what she said the other night. But then she got all wistful about the blouses and stuff." He started going through the pile of cotton print blouses, tracing his fingers over the familiar patterns. "What about these, then-Goodwill?"

"I think so," Mia said. They glanced over at Lorelai, who was looking thoughtfully at the pile, but didn't say anything.

"So if you're okay with letting these dresses go, Luke, I'll bring them down to my car now so I can drive them over today. No time like the present."

"Sounds good, Mia. Let me help."

They decided to just bring them down on the hangers as they were and lay them across the back seat. Two trips was all it took.

When they returned upstairs, they found Lorelai sitting next to the pile of blouses on the couch, pulling them one by one into her lap and refolding them. She looked up at Luke and Mia. "I have an idea for what to do with these. But you can say no, if it sounds weird to you." She directed this at Luke.

"Okay," Luke agreed, curious.

"I made a quilt once, out of Rory's baby clothes. It was the same sort of thing – I loved all of those sweet little outfits, but at the same time it seemed weird to keep them in a box and just pull them out from time to time and moan about how little and perfect she used to be. And, yeah, maybe I'll have another baby someday, but do I really want to dress her in the same clothes as my special number one daughter? And what if it's a him? And hopefully, by the time I have another kid, I'll have a husband, and I'll definitely have more money…"

"Lorelai, dear, you're babbling," Mia said gently.

"Oh, right. So anyway, I could make you a quilt. To give to Liz." She looked up at Luke brightly.

"A quilt?"

"Yes, a quilt. I can cut these up into squares, and piece them together. A nine patch, maybe. Pair each pattern up with a solid color."

"I have two of my dad's old blue work shirts too," Luke said quietly.

"Oh, that would be perfect, then your parents would be together in the quilt. Unless that seems weird to you? What do you think?"

Luke looked at her thoughtfully. "I think Liz would love that. But that sounds like a lot of work, are you sure you'd want to do that?"

"Oh, sure. I had fun doing Rory's, it gave me something to do at night. It's no trouble. And besides, there's no deadline. Liz doesn't have to know about it until it's all done."

"Okay, well, that sounds great." Luke touched her shoulder briefly. "Really, Lorelai, thank you, that's a really kind offer."

Lorelai shrugged and smiled. "You're welcome."

Decisions made, they all worked together to finish the task. Lorelai folded up the various cotton print items, a few flowered aprons and skirts as well as the blouses, and loaded them all into an empty box, and Luke bundled up the rest of the everyday items into one of the same old garbage bags. He left them to the side to either go with Marcy or to charity. Lorelai and Mia went through the shoes and bags, packing the fancier ones for the shops in Woodbridge, and putting the rest in another one of the bags. Soon the couch was clear, Mia's car was loaded, and Luke felt a huge sense of relief.

Mia was holding a sleek black evening bag, decorated with several silk red roses. "May I keep this? It's from that same Manhattan trip."

Luke put his arm around her, and affectionately dropped a kiss on the side of her head. "Of course. Thank you so much for helping me do this."

Mia nodded, her eyes bright with tears.

Lorelai cleared her throat. "I'm going to grab Rory and start looking around if there's anything we might need for the house."

"Oh, good," Luke said. "Anything you want, we'll load it up in the truck and I'll bring it over for you."

"Um, okay." Lorelai headed out the door and downstairs.

Luke looked over at Mia quizzically.

"She's a little self-conscious about living in a converted potting shed," Mia explained.

"Oh. Well, I'm about to move me and my son into the equivalent of an attic storeroom, so hopefully she'll stop worrying about my opinion."

"She's very proud."

"Yeah...I get that," Luke agreed. He followed Mia downstairs, walked her to her car, and watched her drive away toward Woodbridge. His heart lifted, and he felt almost giddy that something had finally left the store.

* * *

Half an hour later, Luke put the last of the items Lorelai and Rory had chosen into the bed of his truck. They'd taken a couple of fans, the old-fashioned all-metal ones that went out of style when the plastic 70's began. Rory had talked Lorelai into a set of dishes for four. They were pretty, and indestructible, one of the old Corelle sets his dad had sold in his small housewares section. They chose a few odds and ends of furniture, as well: two small end tables, a step stool, a bookcase. Some shelving paper rounded out their selections.

Robbie gave Rory two of each of the plastic toys, for her and Lane, and Lorelai pointed out to Luke that he should save the rest of them for birthday party favors for Robbie.

"Birthday party?"

"Yes. Isn't he turning five this summer? Five is a big one."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Don't worry, we'll help. We're great at parties, Rory and I." She and Rory grinned at each other.

Still in a good mood, Luke nodded. He couldn't wait for Marcy to arrive and for the rest of the stuff to go.

Marcy Klein turned out to be as friendly and efficient in person as she had been on the phone. She arrived right at 4 o'clock. Short and plump, with a smiling face and a head of soft gray curls, she rapped on the side of the store's open door just as she caught sight of Luke and he gestured her in. After a quick exchange of pleasantries, she got right down to business, pulling out a clipboard from her bag and asking Luke to take her through the store. She asked questions as they went along and entered items and estimated quantities onto a checklist, occasionally scribbling a note here and there. They worked their way through the main room, the storage areas, and then headed upstairs. Here she stopped to introduce herself to Robbie and easily engaged him in conversation.

"He's adorable! I have 6 grandchildren myself," she told Luke proudly. She continued her process, and when she was done, asked to use the desk downstairs in the office. She pulled out a calculator and began adding numbers. Luke had been hovering in the doorway, and she gestured for him to sit. "So this is great, Luke, just the kind of big lot of goods we love to scoop up. I can offer you $250, cash, for the whole kit and caboodle."

"Oh, well." Luke was flustered. He hadn't thought about the money at all. And even if he had thought about it, he would have had no idea what such an offer would be. But he figured he should try and bargain. "Well, I'd been thinking all of this would be worth more than that. Closer to $500, maybe $450?"

Marcy laughed. "You did not have any such number in mind, young man. You look like a deer caught in the headlights. But you know to bargain, I'll give you that. Where have you been that you know to bargain? It's very un-American."

"Europe," Luke replied. "I bargained every day, buying food for dinner."

"Ah, yes, I learned to haggle for food, and goods, when we lived in Israel for a year. Great skill to have. But, $500 is preposterous, $450 is hardly better. We're not going to be able to sell any of this wholesale to anyone, it's too outdated. We'll try and move it at our perpetual yard sale, but no guarantees there either."

"There's gotta be at least 500 individual items here, if you sold each one for one dollar, you'd make money. $400."

"Some will go for less than a dollar. $275."

"And some for a lot more. $375."

"And some won't sell at all and we'll have to bring them to the dump, where they charge a fee, if you can believe it. $300, that's my final offer."

Luke looked at her levelly. "You'll take it all today?"

"Today? No way. Next time I have my guys with the truck is Tuesday."

"Nope. I've got the phone company here first thing Monday, they won't get anything done if they have to work around all of this."

Marcy sighed. "Let me make a call. If you throw them both an extra $30, I may be able to convince them to come over today."

"$20 each and I'll help load. I've done a good job packing and labeling, it shouldn't take too long."

"Deal." She held out her hand, and they shook. "Let me make that call. Is there a pay phone near by?"

Luke pointed her in the right direction. He felt happy. He would have paid even more to have the stuff gone today.

In a few minutes, Marcy came back in. "Okay, they can be here in an hour. I'm going to pop in on Mrs. Kim across the way, get in some more good bargaining." Her eyes twinkled at Luke. "I'll be back in 45 minutes, don't worry about getting started, they have a system."

"Sounds good," Luke agreed.

Two hours later Robbie and Luke took stock of a much emptier store. Luke turned slowly around the main space and couldn't repress his grin. He was itching to start breaking down the shelves and opening up the space.

"It feels so much bigger!" Robbie declared, and began running up and down the aisles between the now empty shelves.

Luke patted the wad of bills in his shirt pocket and nodded once more with satisfaction. "I'm going to go close the windows, then let's head back to the Inn."


	9. of a Sympathetic Listener

**The Powerful Effect of a Sympathetic Listener**

_**Saturday, April 18, 1992**_

When they arrived back at the Inn Luke was surprised to find Lorelai at the front desk.

"Hi Lorelai!" Robbie bounced up to her. "You should see the store now, the shelves are all empty."

"Hi sweetie, that's great." Lorelai looked over at Luke. "Everything went smoothly?"

"Yeah, it did. She wanted to come back for everything Tuesday but I pushed for today. It feels like actual progress."

"Oh that's good. You need anything?"

"No, we're good. Why are you on duty? I thought you had Saturdays off," Luke asked.

"Not always, but yeah, I was supposed to today. We're having problems with the weekend evening manager – he keeps flaking out. And we couldn't get backup since it's Easter weekend. I'm just here for a bit, then Mia's coming in until midnight. I begged her to let me stay, but no deal."

"You _wanted_ to work on a Saturday night?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said glumly. "I was trying to get out of going on a double date tonight."

"Why?"

"Eh, I'm not in the mood."

Just then, Mia bustled in. Robbie, who'd grown bored with Luke and Lorelai talking, ran up to her. He grabbed her hand and started filling her in on the excitement of the store being emptied. She nodded at Luke and Lorelai while concentrating on Robbie, who followed her into the office as she shed her coat and purse.

Mia came back out. "Luke, I did well over in Woodbridge. My very first stop, the consignment shop, scooped up nearly all of it. Then one of the funkier vintage shops took a few items, and I dropped the last of it at Goodwill. I have checks for you, and a receipt from Goodwill."

"That's great, thank you for doing all of that."

"You're welcome. Lorelai, you should get going, get ready for your date."

Lorelai glared at her. Mia held up her hands. "Why are you mad at me? Sookie's the one who set it up!"

"I'm mad at you because you wouldn't let me work and thus have a perfectly good excuse to cancel."

Mia sighed. "I don't know why you would want to cancel, he sounds like a perfectly nice man."

"They all _sound_ like perfectly nice men," Lorelai said, looking gloomy.

"Well, then, why did you agree to go?" Mia asked.

Luke was looking back and forth from Mia to Lorelai, amused by their exchange.

"Because!" Lorelai spouted indignantly. "Because _you_, surrogate _Mom_, and Sookie, my _best friend_, sat me down last September and told me I was young and lively and needed to stop living like a nun, cloistered at home with my daughter."

Mia pursed her lips together as she began checking reservations in the computer. "I'm sure I never said anything about being a nun."

"Well, maybe not, but you did tell me that Rory was growing up and did I want to be alone my whole life?"

Luke smiled and shook his head at that.

Mia looked a bit chastened, but then challenged her, "Well, do you?"

Lorelai sighed, "No. But I haven't dated any guys this year worth keeping around long enough to even introduce Rory to!"

"Well, you haven't been out _that_ much. You've at least stopped automatically turning down everyone who asks you, but you're still taking it pretty slow."

"Yeah, well, there aren't too many guys worth missing Saturday night at home with my daughter," Lorelai muttered petulantly.

"I stand by what I said last fall: your 20s are for dating, even if you _are_ a mom." Mia looked over at Luke for agreement.

"Don't look at me," he said, "Old married guy, wife who travels...we don't get out much."

Mia laughed. "The both of you are pitiful! All so serious and responsible. No fun at all." She shook her head, still smiling.

"Alright, well, let's talk logistics," Lorelai conceded.

"Oh, and Luke," Mia said, "stay for a minute, I want to ask you about your plans for tomorrow."

"Okay," he said.

"Okay, Lorelai, shoot," Mia said.

Lorelai switched gears to planning mode. "I'll go now and get ready, then bring Rory back here with me. Sookie is picking me up and we're going together to meet the guys at a restaurant in Hartford. You're okay with Rory staying?"

"Of course. There are several empty rooms-it's quiet this weekend, even for Easter. I'll put her in the room right at the top of the stairs, next to Luke and Robbie, so that she can come get me if she needs me."

"And she knows how to call the front desk," Lorelai reminded her.

"Of course," Mia said.

"Then I'll probably just come here and crash with her in the room, rather than trying to move her, asleep, since we have to be up so early."

"Oh, yes, Easter morning with your parents. What time do you have to leave?"

"7:15," Lorelai groaned. "We have to catch the 7:30 bus, since the 8:30 will get us there too late."

"I wish I could give you a ride, but I have to be at the church early, to help with the flowers."

"I can drive you," Luke spoke up. Lorelai and Mia turned to him.

"You don't need to do that," Lorelai said.

"I'm happy to. We're easily up by eight anyway, and why should you and Rory get up more than an hour earlier than necessary, and deal with the bus? It might be a little cramped in my truck, all four of us, but we'll manage."

"Well, how about this," Mia jumped in. "I'll take Robbie with me early to church, and then you can meet us there when you get back from Hartford."

Luke's face fell. "Church? I wasn't planning on going to church."

Lorelai muttered, "No good deed…"

Mia looked at him sternly. "You want to reveal yourself as a heathen, your very first Sunday back in Stars Hollow?"

Luke dropped his eyes and muttered, "No."

"And besides, your mother always loved Easter services."

"Okay, okay, I give. I can't take the guilt." He and Lorelai exchanged a look.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay. I knew it was only a matter of time before she stopped being nice and started being bossy."

Mia just smiled.

"Okay, I think we're all set then. See how complicated this is?" Lorelai complained. "See why I prefer the no dates/no parents lifestyle?"

"Scoot now, dear, go get pretty for your date." Lorelai rolled her eyes and headed out the door, stopping to tousle Robbie's curls as she passed. Tired of standing and waiting, Robbie had settled himself in one of the lobby chairs. Scrunched all the way down, kicking his legs listlessly, he was the very picture of a bored child.

Luke looked over at him and laughed. "Come on, Robbie, let's go get washed up for dinner. Maybe we can talk Rory into eating with us."

Robbie jumped up and ran for the stairs.

Robbie watched TV while Luke showered and changed. Back downstairs, they settled themselves at a table in the dining room where Robbie could watch the door for Rory to arrive. Sookie got there first, followed shortly by Lorelai and Rory. After a flurry of helloes and goodbyes and wide-eyed compliments from Robbie, who seemed a little stunned by their fancy hair and outfits, quiet reigned again as Rory joined them for dinner.

Luke had offered to get Rory settled in the upstairs room, so after dinner they headed up. Robbie begged to be able to watch TV with Rory in the new room, so once he bathed and got into his pajamas, Luke brought him over. Rory too had gotten ready for bed, and the two of them happily snuggled under the covers of the double bed and turned on the TV. Luke left the adjoining door open, and tried to settle down to TV himself, ending up on a ball game. When that didn't prove enough to absorb him, he opened his little notebook to add to his lists. He felt restless, though. After a long day of physical labor, and the relief of finally going through his mom's stuff and removing most of the old hardware store leftovers, he should have felt tired. Instead, exhilaration continued to buzz through his system. And he found himself pacing rather than sitting.

After about ten more minutes of restless movement, he poked his head into the room next door. Rory and Robbie looked up from their show, Robbie's eyes quickly drifting back to the TV.

"Rory, would you two be okay if I went downstairs and talked with Mia for a little while?"

Rory's eyes shone. "Sure, Luke, that's okay."

"I'll be just downstairs, just call the front desk if you need me."

"Okay."

Luke came over to press a kiss to Robbie's forehead. "I'll be back in a little while, bud. Be good for Rory, she's in charge." Robbie nodded, eyes glued to the TV, and Rory beamed. "If he falls asleep, don't worry, I'll just carry him back to our room when I get back."

"Okay, Luke."

"Thanks Rory." She looked up at him sweetly, and he felt a tug of affection for this little grown-up girl, so excited to be "in charge". A strand of her stick-straight hair had fallen across her cheek, and he reached over and tucked it behind her ear, and then gently bumped her soft cheek with his knuckles.

Out in the hall, he double-checked that the key was in his pocket, and that the doors to both rooms were securely locked. He headed downstairs and found the lobby quiet. A few couples lingered over coffee in the dining room, but Mia remained undisturbed at the main desk, absorbed in a book.

"You'd think as owner of the Inn you'd be above desk duty," he said quietly as he approached.

Mia looked up from her book and smiled. "Oh, this happens from time to time. Good help really is hard to find."

Luke smiled.

Mia continued, "Every once in a while I need to fill in the gaps. It's the life of an owner. Of course, once Lorelai is fully trained, I'll be able to rely even more on her."

"That's good." Luke straightened a pile of brochures that were on the desk, and put a cap back on a pen that someone had left.

"Restless?" Mia asked, eyeing him.

"God, yes. I should be exhausted but I have all this energy."

"The kids are asleep?"

"Not quite. Robbie is on his way, for sure. They're together, watching TV."

"You could go out, if you want, go get a beer at KC's, play some pool? I'm here for the kids."

"Nah. Not really in the mood for all that. Thanks, though, that's nice of you to offer."

Mia nodded, looking at him closely but not saying anything.

"Maybe we could just talk?" Luke asked, glancing up at her briefly and then away.

"Of course," Mia said. "That would be lovely. I was just going to make myself a cup of tea, to get me through the last few hours. Can I bring you one as well?"

"Sure. No caffeine for me though, I'm buzzing enough as it is."

"Okay. I'll be back out in a moment, can you just listen for the phone?"

"Sure, no problem."

Still antsy, Luke began straightening all the tourist brochures in the wooden rack by the door. Then he wandered behind the desk, looking at the shelves below the counter, and thought about how he would organize his undercounter area in the diner, once he built it out. When Mia returned with the tea tray, she gestured with her head towards her office. "Let's sit in here, relax a little. I can hear the bell if someone rings it, and of course I can hear the phone, too."

Luke followed her in and took a seat on one side of the couch that stood opposite her desk. Mia settled on the couch as well, the tea tray on the table before them. Luke bobbed the teabag in his cup a few times, then took a sip of the hot liquid. "Chamomile-maybe it will settle me down."

"What's got you so restless do you think?" Mia asked.

"I don't know. Lots of plans. Excitement to get started on 'em."

Mia waited.

"I was thinking about what you said, too. About being so responsible, having no fun. I was picturing Lorelai and Sookie out and it seemed appealing all of a sudden. Wondering what Rachel's doing, right now. If she's having fun."

"Have you talked to her?"

"Not since Tuesday, the first night we were here. Last night would have been her first opportunity to call, if she was back at the base camp as planned. But the schedule is always unpredictable."

"That's hard."

"It's how it's always been," he said quietly.

"How does Robbie handle the unpredictability?"

"Pretty well, I think. He doesn't expect to talk to her every day that she's away, but he's always happy when she does call." Luke paused and took another sip of his tea. "When he was about three, I had him start keeping a 'mommy diary'. He would get upset, sometimes, wanting to tell her about something, but not being able to call her. So I would have him draw a picture of what he wanted to tell her, then when she did call, or when she came back, he could remember all the things he wanted to say."

"And when they're together? When you're all together?" Mia asked.

"They do well. I mean, she's definitely the 'fun' parent."

"Yes," Mia said, "I remember that with John. He would come home from work, usually just after bath time, and throw them in the air and roughhouse and get them all riled up. They loved it. Drove me crazy."

"Yeah, that happens a lot. When she's with us, it's almost like she's a visitor, and all of our routines are disrupted. I try not to be so rigid, but it's hard, you know?"

"I do."

"You know, when the situation is reversed, and the mom is the primary parent, there's always that clucking over the lack of a steady male figure. So, I worry about the lack of a steady female figure for him. Part of why I wanted to be back here is to give him that. I know most of his teachers are likely to be women, plus you're here."

Mia smiled. "And Lorelai and Rory."

Luke looked up at her. "Didn't know they'd be part of the mix but they are, after just a few days. And Sookie. That's what's so great about this town, about home. I'm even looking forward to introducing him to Gypsy."

Mia chuckled at that. "And Rachel?" she asked. "Where does she fit into being back home in Stars Hollow?"

Luke looked down into his teacup, as if it held some answer. He looked up at Mia and said, slowly, "Well, that's the million-dollar question, isn't it?"

"Sounds like it."

"It is."

Luke poured a little more hot tea into his cooling cup, and gathered his thoughts as he did so. "Okay well, I think it could go a number of ways. One: things could stay basically the same. She'll continue to take assignments that intrigue her, and travel for them, and come home in between. Overall we'd see her even less, because instead of us following her, setting up a home base as close to her as possible, we'd have a permanent home here, and that's obviously further away. Two, she could work a little less, be more selective, stay home longer between assignments. That could work, since I can make some money now, being back in the U.S., and with Robbie starting school."

"What work do you think you'll do?"

"I want to turn the store into a diner."

"Oh, yes, Lorelai was telling Sookie and I about that the other day."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about a restaurant for a long time, since before Dad even got sick."

"I always pictured you doing construction, being outdoors."

"Yeah, I like some things about that. But I like the idea of being my own boss, and that seems harder to do in construction than in the restaurant business. People always eat, and an inexpensive, homey place will survive, good times and bad. At least I hope. Plus, I like cooking, and I like the idea of being right in town, near Robbie at school. So, yeah, it might take a while, to generate profits, but if I can, it takes some of the breadwinning pressure off of Rachel. Lets her be more selective."

"You've never been bothered by her being the breadwinner, have you?" Mia asked.

"No, not really. That's just how it worked out for us. When we got married and had Robbie, she was the one with the career, the plan, the skill people were willing to pay money for. I had no problem being the one whose job it was to be with the kid. I mean, beyond the fact it's hard to always be the one with the kid."

Mia chuckled, and nodded.

"But I do miss working. And with Robbie starting school there's some room for me to start building something else. I hate the idea of Dad's store just standing empty, I want it to be something thriving, I want to make that happen."

"And if it upsets the balance you and you Rachel have created?"

Luke sighed. "Well, I think that balance has already been upset. Going to Brazil kind of wrecked that balance."

"When I visited you in Italy, things seemed pretty good?"

"It worked. The balance worked best in Italy. You saw what I had there, the support system for Robbie, the chance to live and work with the Gardinis. And Rachel was around pretty steadily. She was getting regular assignments from a few different Italian magazines, plus others from around Southern and Eastern Europe, and even back in France. She'd go, come back for a bit, go again, get paid pretty well. It worked."

He stared into space. "And then, Brazil. She got an offer for a shoot there for _National Geographic_. They had seen her work from Africa, from Kenya. They pitched a three-part story on the Amazon Rain Forest, from three different perspectives. Chance of a lifetime. How do you turn that down?"

"I don't know," Mia said.

"But I wanted her to. For the first time, I truly wanted her to say no. I wanted her to stay in Europe, keep building a reputation, build on what she'd been doing. Why go to another new place? But really, _I_ just didn't want to have to go. She did. She'll always want to go to the new place, photograph something new. I wanted to stay. I had put down roots, formed attachments, was learning about how a restaurant really works...

"We talked about her going alone, Robbie and me staying in Italy. But we possibly wouldn't see her for almost a year, if we did that. It just seemed too much. Then we talked about me and Robbie coming back here. She panicked: said we had a deal that we would travel together at least until Robbie was five, and that she didn't want to lose a year off of that deal." Luke paused, remembering.

"And so you agreed to go." Mia said.

"I did. She went ahead, as usual. Got things all set up for us in Rio, while I closed up shop in Italy. I was miserable leaving, and so miserable when we got there. I just hated it.

"It's just so hard on me, you know? I despise change, with every fiber of my being. I can't help it, it's who I am. When we got there, I just wanted to stay in the apartment she had rented and not deal. I didn't want to learn another new language, get acclimated to a new culture, find our way around. I wasn't even excited about discovering new foods. Rachel was away for really long stretches, out in the jungle, hard to reach, and I worried about her. And I knew no one. God, I was miserable.

"We fought, in a way we'd never fought before. Me being resentful, taking everything she said and did badly, sulking. And she'd get fed up and yell, and I'd yell back."

"And Robbie?"

Luke rubbed a hand over his eyes. "That's what made me stop. He was so confused. Times when Rachel were with us had always been happy before, and he couldn't understand why they weren't anymore. He got super clingy, started wetting the bed at night."

"Poor little guy. Poor parents."

"Yeah, well, we needed to be parents. I was really pissed at myself for forgetting that. I think it's the only time in his life I was just going through the motions. Luckily I figured it out in time to make myself stop. It didn't last too long, it just felt like it did."

"What made you able?"

"I figured out a solution. I realized I needed to come home. There was a day in October when I got two letters and a phone call, all from Stars Hollow. One letter was from you, just your usual, filling me in on various town doings, and telling me that you'd seen Liz and Jess in New York. The other letter was from Bob, confirming that he had no choice, he was going to close up the store. And finally a phone call from Joanna at the bank, letting me know that the renters might be moving out, and wanting to know what I wanted to do about the store after Bob left.

"Instead of feeling annoyed, like I had to deal with more hassles, I just felt this overwhelming need and desire to come home. Your letter made me homesick for the town, for everyone, and the others made me want to be here in person to deal with the problems. The whole time I was away, I had been okay with just scratching the surface of what needed to be done. Suddenly it all felt like unfinished business, like I needed to be here. I _wanted_ to be here.

"It didn't have to be right away, but soon. And just knowing that I had a plan to come back made me much happier. My depression lifted, I started paying full attention to Robbie, settled more into our life there, and things were better."

"And Rachel?"

"She was away for about a month when this happened. Over the phone I apologized, told her I was feeling better, and that we would talk and make some plans when she came back. And we did. She wasn't happy about the idea of us coming back to the U.S. sooner than we had agreed, but I gradually convinced her. That it was past time to settle things here in Stars Hollow, that I needed time to get Robbie ready for American school. In the end, I convinced her by agreeing that nothing would be set in stone, no change had to be permanent."

"Owning a diner seems pretty permanent," Mia observed.

"Yeah." Luke grimaced. "I was lying to her, lying to myself. It only took me a few days back here to figure that out. I'm happy here, I fit here, and I want Robbie to fit here too. I want to give him what I had, growing up."

"And for yourself?"

Luke was surprised by the wave of emotion he felt at Mia's gentle, seemingly simple question. He blinked his eyes and cleared his throat. "I want this for me. For five years I've done everything for Robbie, and for Rachel. I need to do this for me."

"That's a good thing, Luke," Mia said.

"Maybe. But I'm afraid," he admitted, very quietly. He looked up at Mia, directly into her eyes. "I'm afraid that doing this for me is going to end our marriage."


	10. Choices We Make

_Author's Note:_ More thank yous from me, for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews! They're so helpful in keeping me plugging away on this, especially as we start to enter the angstier middle section of this very long tale. Some of you seem to have taken my little AU world especially to heart, and I so appreciate all of your feedback.

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**Choices We Make**

**_(still) Saturday, April 18, 1992_**

"Why are you afraid your marriage will end?" Mia asked.

"Because, what makes our marriage work is me giving in, and if I don't give in anymore, it will fall apart."

"Giving in?"

"Like what I just said, putting her and Robbie first, always. Agreeing to travel around the world, to make sure he has both a mother and a father, to make sure she has us nearby."

Mia nodded her head thoughtfully. "But surely, there has to be room for you to be happy, too. She must want you to be happy?"

"Of course she does. That's what scares me, Mia. We don't hate each other, or deliberately do things to make the other miserable. We want each other to be happy, but fundamentally, I don't think I can really be happy unless I'm here, and she can't be happy here. At least, she thinks she can't."

"No, I understand. I can see why you're concerned. And either way, whether your marriage ends or continues, I'll support you. I'm just trying to understand the actual relationship, what holds you together. What's held you together all this time?"

"_Robbie_," is what immediately came to Luke's mind. But he didn't say it out loud. He wasn't ready to say that out loud yet.

"Well, you know, that whole 'opposites attract' thing has legs." He smiled. "One of the reasons we got together so late in high school was that we ran in such different circles. She was into art, music, the hippie thing superficially but totally an honors student. I was much squarer, into sports, decent student but no honors classes for me. We didn't really get to know each other until we both ended up in a Popular Literature elective the last half of our senior year. We were both just looking for something easy to take, but the teacher was really good. She drew everyone into the conversation, so for once I didn't get away with blending into the woodwork. And somehow what I had to say was intelligent enough, or different enough, to get Rachel's attention."

"When I first got out to San Francisco, it was like going back to those early days. We were just so happy to be together, after all of the panic. After deciding what to do about the pregnancy, deciding I would move out there. Getting everything settled here in Stars Hollow enough to leave. I felt this overwhelming relief to finally be there, to be with her. She was just at the end of the first trimester by then, and what little morning sickness she had been having was lifting, and she looked beautiful, all glowing, just like the books say, and…" he trailed off.

"Second trimester sex drive?" Mia guessed.

Luke blushed.

"I've been pregnant, too, Luke. Three times."

"Mia..."

"Luke..." She smiled. "I may be one of your mom's oldest friends but I'm not actually your mom. Friends can talk about sex."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't just the sex. It was everything. After all those college years of on-again, off-again, it felt so good to just be together, knowing it was permanent. She was so excited to be working. I mean, bored out of her mind: she got sent to the most mundane of assignments, council meetings, ground-breaking ceremonies. But she was working, as a photographer, and getting paid for it. We'd go out on the weekends, she'd bring her camera, and we'd just wander around the city, exploring, her taking photos. San Francisco itself is a pretty amazing place, and the ocean and the bay and the land around it are all really close by.

"I picked up construction jobs, and in between those filled in breakfast and lunch shifts at a local coffee shop-short order stuff. We had enough money to live on, a little to save up for things for the baby, a tiny apartment in a beautiful old house. I'd make dinner every night, and whatever time she got home we'd eat, and talk. I talked a lot, more than I ever had." He paused, remembering. "Mostly about my parents."

"You must have still been reeling from your dad's death."

"I was, but I wasn't really ready to talk about that yet. I talked more about earlier days. My mom. Which I'd never really done before." He looked up at Mia. "I finally did mourn her, you know."

Mia nodded, tears coming to her eyes.

Luke spoke very softly. "You remember telling me that, all those years ago?"

"I do."

"You told me that you knew that I thought I had to lock all my sadness up, deep in my heart. But that someday, when I was ready, I could bring it out, and remember her, and mourn her. And in the meantime, you knew it was there. You'd always know."

"I have always known."

Luke nodded. "At first it was just talking with Rachel. Letting myself remember. Lots of stories. All the little things I remembered, and the bigger things, like family trips, winning the Little League regional championship...

"When I really mourned her, finally, was after Robbie was born. That's when it hit me. I was taking care of this tiny little helpless thing. Maybe you don't ever really appreciate what your parents did for you, until you become one. I just... as I fed him and changed him and walked with him three hours every night to stop the crying, that's when I felt it: what I had had, what she had done for me, how much she loved me, what I had lost."

Having said this last part all in a rush, Luke leaned back against the couch, resting his head all the way back, looking up at the ceiling of the office and blinking away tears.

After a minute or so he sat back up and cleared his throat. "So anyway, me and Rachel. You wanted to know about me and Rachel. Second trimester, all good. God knows we hadn't planned on her getting pregnant, but all the worry and anxiety and panic fell away and we just felt really solid. As she entered the final trimester, we took a Lamaze class, and that made Rachel much less anxious about the giving birth part. We bought stuff, everything we needed for the baby."

"And then?"

"And then, just about everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. With about a month to go, the paper stopped letting her go out into the field. They put her on photo editing duty, and archive work. She was annoyed, talked about suing them for sex discrimination. But they held firm, insurance regulations, etc. Then at a checkup about two weeks before her due date, her blood pressure was really high. The doctor put her on medication, bed rest. She fretted about the drugs affecting the baby- she had become really committed to no drugs, having an all-natural childbirth. And the bed rest drove her nuts, as you can imagine. It only ended up being about ten days in the end, but God, that was a long ten days. I took a bunch of shifts at the coffee shop, supposedly to save up some extra money, but mostly just to get out of the house."

"Smart man," Mia commented.

"Maybe, but being alone really did a number on her. She was getting really anxious, much more than I realized, and also having really negative thoughts. Resenting the baby, the pregnancy. I didn't figure out a lot of that until later.

"After about ten days, her blood pressure spiked again, and we went straight from her OB's office to the hospital. She needed to be induced, the doctor said, and Rachel was so upset. No drugs, no drugs, she kept saying. The doctor tried to reassure her, that it was more harmful for her and the baby to wait than to be induced. She gave consent, but when the doctor gave us the routine warning that they might need to do a C-section, she went nuts again. No C-section, she wanted natural. We all tried to calm her down, but she was beyond reason. Finally they gave her a mild sedative. She calmed down a little, and I talked to her. That the baby and she needed to be okay, that I needed them both to be okay…" He stopped talking, the memories coming back too vividly.

"Well, anyway. You don't need every little detail. Bottom line, they did a C-section. Rachel was awake, but slipped into this weird state...sort of an angry calm. I couldn't bear to watch the birth, you know I'm not much for blood, so I stayed up by her head, talking to her but not really able to get through to her. They held up Robbie, and even the 'it's a boy!' didn't really break through to us.

"But when the nurse brought him over a few minutes later, cleaned up a little and bundled in a blanket, everything fell away for me. Rachel had closed her eyes, she wasn't ready to see him yet. They put him in my arms and I looked at that little face, those tiny fingers, and I just fell in love." He looked up at Mia. "You know, right?"

"I know."

"Things were as okay as they could be, after all that. Rachel recovered slowly from the C-section, and was really resistant to getting up and moving. Robbie was a little jaundiced, so they both got to stay in the hospital a few extra days. I was there most of each day. She had planned to nurse but her milk was coming in slowly, so she wanted to give up. I wouldn't let her, kept bringing Robbie to her whenever he seemed hungry, trying to get them in sync. I was nervous to leave him just with her and the nurses, I felt like he needed to be held, and she wouldn't, for longer than a few minutes.

"Rachel's mom got there the day we were checking out of the hospital. That seemed to rally Rachel a little, and things were better as we settled in at home. Beth taught me how to change diapers, heat formula, and give him a bath. She tried to cajole Rachel into doing more with Robbie, but Rachel was stubborn. She nursed him, but that that was about it. Said she didn't feel well, it was too painful to lift him, or to bend over the diaper table.

"Rachel's dad came out for a few days before taking Beth back home, and Rachel perked up. They'd always been close. I was getting the hang of Robbie's care and routine.

"When they left, Rachel was pretty depressed for a few days. I had to start picking up breakfast shifts at the coffee shop again-we were nervous about money, since the paid part of her maternity leave was pretty short. I'd give Robbie a bottle when he woke up early in the morning, change him, tuck him back in, and leave for work. Rachel spent the mornings with him happily enough, it seemed, and I'd be home by 11.

"But then things started to regress. Three days in a row I came back to the apartment, to find Rachel still in bed, and Robbie crying in his crib. I stopped doing shifts, tried to get Rachel back on track, but it wasn't working. It was like she couldn't come out of it. Crying jags, sleeping, she seemed practically catatonic at times. When she did get out of bed, she'd yell at me for something, then storm out of the house and not come back for two or three hours."

Mia was frowning. "Luke, I had no idea it was so bad. You only wrote to me afterwards, telling me she had a bout of postpartum depression."

"Yeah, well, that's what it was. I had to force her to come with me for Robbie's three week checkup, and when we got there I told the pediatrician everything that was happening. He sent her immediately to see her OB, and she diagnosed her with postpartum depression. She explained to us about hormones, other possible causes. She wanted to put her on medication, and I expected Rachel to resist, but she agreed right away. The doctor wanted to start slow, a low dose so that she could keep nursing, but Rachel announced she was done with nursing, she needed to feel better, she wanted to get back to work sooner rather than later.

"The medicine worked. She pretty quickly came out of the depression, but she was still on edge, sort of detached. Then, because we hadn't had enough to deal with, the colic started."

"Oh no," Mia groaned.

"Oh yes. I don't know if it was the switch to all formula, or just bad timing, but for three hours a day, 4 to 7 pm, like clockwork, he just howled."

"John Jr. had colic, it was a nightmare."

"Nightmare is right. I thought I would go mad. And Rachel couldn't take it. She started going out, about 2 o'clock each afternoon, to go take pictures, and somehow she managed to not be back until eight or so every night. I was so angry. I asked her not to go, to help me, to take him part of the time so that we both wouldn't go nuts. But she had no patience for it. She'd walk him up and down and he'd cry harder and she'd put him down in the crib and lock herself in the bathroom with a radio."

"Vicious cycle."

"Yup. Within a few days Robbie would calm only for me. I have no idea where I found the patience but somehow I did. We developed a routine. One hour of pacing and screaming, one hour of crying while I jiggled him face down on my legs and rubbed his back, and one hour of whimpering in the stroller as we walked outside. Then some sleep-blessed quiet-dinner, a few more hours of gentler fussing, and sleep again."

"Thank God he had you."

Luke smiled. "It was a test, for sure. He started to come out of it after about four weeks. Three hours became two hours, two hours became one, and then it was just a little fussing through the evening.

"Somewhere in there Rachel went back to the paper, and was much happier. We settled into a routine, and things got better, but the die was cast. I was primary caretaker, she was on the periphery.

"She started to engage with him a little more at about the three month mark, and even more by six months. He was so happy by then, smiling and sitting up and grabbing things. He got more fun, and she got charmed."

"And the two of you?"

"We patched it over, got back to equilibrium. I never told her how angry I would get with her during the colic hours, how much I cursed her absence. And she never apologized. We just moved on, never talked about it.

"The rest of our time in San Francisco, that next year or so, was good. Robbie was a wonder. That first year is so amazing, every day something new. And after that rocky start, he was such a mellow kid. Pretty much what you see now: happy, engaging, amazing attention span. Of course fussing and resisting and stubborn at times, but overall really good, really easy. And the older he's gotten, the more interested Rachel is. She still doesn't like the day to day stuff, and she gets really impatient with our routines, with the need for repetition. But she's fascinated with how his mind works, and loves to make him laugh.

"She did well at work, started getting assigned more interesting events, got awards for that amazing shot she took of the families displaced by the Market Street explosion and fire. But after a while, she started getting bored. She began taking a few freelance assignments, not so much because we needed the money, although it helped, but just for different things to do. She did some work for some restaurants, which brought her to the attention of the editor at a new food magazine, who asked her to photograph a farm to table story in France. The paper wouldn't let her take a leave of absence, so she resigned and headed to France."

"Just like that?" Mia asked in surprise.

"Well, of course we discussed it first. She didn't want to pass up the opportunity, and if she stayed she was just going to be annoyed at them for holding her back. Her mind was pretty much made up."

"Wow," Mia said.

"That's Rachel, for better, for worse. She was gone for about a month, and came back so excited about the assignment, and in love with the idea of freelancing. She already had a new assignment in Chicago. Our lease on the apartment was coming up, so she went ahead, and we joined her a few weeks later. While we were in Chicago, another assignment in France came up, as well as possibilities in England and Germany, so she wanted us all to move to Europe.

"I was really nervous about that, but the only other alternative I could think of at that point was me and Robbie back in Stars Hollow, and I couldn't do it. I didn't want to break up our little family unit."

Luke paused, looking down at his long-forgotten tea cup, then leaned forward to put it back on the tray.

"So what did you originally ask? What holds us together?" Luke thought about how to sum it all up. "Wanting to be together as much as possible, around her schedule. Wanting Robbie to have two parents. Wanting to support her work, because her work is amazing..." He trailed off, and stared into space for a moment.

Luke shook his head suddenly, as if to clear it, and glanced at hs watch.

He stood up and stretched. "I'm just going to run up and check on the kids, ok? I'll come back down."

"Are you sure you're not too tired?"

"No, this is really helping. It feels good to talk to you. I've been in my own head for a really long time"

"I'm glad."

* * *

Luke came back down a few minutes later, and carried the tea things back into the kitchen as Mia checked in some late arrivals.

Settled back in her office, Luke looked around a little nervously. "So, where were we?"

"I was about to ask you a direct question."

"Ask away."

"Do you still love her?" Mia asked.

Luke felt no hesitation. "I do. But it's changed. It's more tempered, less intense. I used to miss her so much, when she was away, and when she came back it would be really great, and she'd be so, I don't know, present. For a while. And I think part of me always hoped she'd stay, that she'd want to stay. But she always left. Always had a new assignment pulling her. And it hurt, I couldn't help it. So after a while, I think I hardened my heart a little, to protect myself. And I definitely stopped relying on her to be my day to day partner. She was great when we were coming or going, but day in and day out, without a partner, you just get used to doing it all on your own."

"It sounds lonely."

"It was. It is." Luke sighed. "It's a weird kind of limbo. Married, but feeling so apart from her. I mean, literally, we're apart so much, but then even when we're togther, feeling apart."

"So if you're already feeling so apart, how do you think things will be now that you're back here?" Mia asked.

"I don't know. If she keeps up the same pace, the same sort of work, I don't see how I can keep doing what I've been doing and still consider it a real marriage." Luke looked down at the floor and shook his head, slowly. "If she's around more, maybe."

He looked up, straight at Mia. "The thing she's working and hoping for now, the book project, would be hardest of all, I think."

"What's the book project? "

"It's on the legacy of colonialism. She and her partmer Sophia want to travel around the world, photographing the way the colonial relationship still exists in different places, or what vestiges remain in now independent countries, what problems."

"Sounds interesting."

"It was my idea," Luke said proudly. "Sophia came to visit us in Italy, after they had first worked together on a project in Kenya. They were looking over some of the pictures Rachel took on the side, talking about the Bristish colonial legacy there, and I said they should look for other examples. Ethiopia and Italy, other European countries in Africa... They got really excited, and have been taking spec photos everywhere they go ever since then. They had one possible publisher interested, a contact of Sophia's, but that company ended up passing. They're coming to New York, sometime soon, to meet with another."

"But if they get it, she'll be gone even more?"

"Yeah, probably. All around the world. Deadlines. Not much money coming in, so probably some filler assignments."

"So, more time apart than ever?" Mia asked.

Luke nodded, then once again leaned his head back against the couch, sighing. "I feel like we've been talking forever, what time is it?"

"Just after 10 o'clock."

Luke straightened up again. "I think exhaustion has overtaken my restlessness. Thanks for listening, Mia."

"Anytime, dear, anytime. Are you okay?"

"I will be. I guess I just have to see how this all plays out."

"You have choices, though, Luke. You know that, right?" Mia asked earnestly.

"I do. I know that. Doesn't make it any easier."

"I know," Mia said. "But you know I will support you, no matter what you choose? What you both choose?"

"I do. Thank you." Luke stood up.

They both heard someone enter the lobby, and Mia got up as Lorelai appeared at the office door.

"I have returned!" she announced. "Hey Luke."

"Hey Lorelai."

"How was the date?" Mia asked

"It was okay. We had fun, the four of us. No love connection, I don't think, on either side, but it was fun. Good food. How was Rory?"

Luke answered. "She's fine. She and Robbie watched TV together. I checked on them a little while ago, both were sound asleep-in your bed, by the way."

"Oh, that's sweet. It's nice they had each other to hang out with. Are you heading up soon?"

"Yeah, I am. I'll transfer Robbie back."

"Cool." Lorelai turned to Mia. "Do you want me to cover here until midnight, so you can get home?"

"No, it's fine. I'm wide awake, I can definitely last for another two hours. Besides, you have to get up early."

"So do you!"

"But I'm old. Old people need less sleep."

"You're not old."

"Old enough to need less sleep," Mia insisted.

Lorelai sighed. "Okay, I give. Thank you for tonight, for watching Rory."

"I did nothing. But you're welcome anyway. Good night, dear. I'm glad you had fun. See you in the morning." Mia kissed Lorelai on the cheek, then turned to give Luke a hug. "Good night Luke. It was lovely to talk, to catch up."

"Night, Mia. Thank you again."

Luke and Lorelai headed upstairs. "You and Mia talked?" she asked.

"Yeah. I filled her in on some of my European adventures," Luke answered lightly.

They reached the top of the stairs. "Oh, I forgot to get the key – which room is it even?"

"This one right here. Come through mine." Luke unlocked the door and led Lorelai in, and they headed next door. The light from Luke and Robbie's room fell across the bed and the two sleeping children. They moved over and looked down at them.

"Oh God, look at that," Lorelai pointed. Luke smiled, seeing Robbie's hand tucked into Rory's. "Such fast friends," she murmured, "after less than a week."

"I know," Luke agreed.

Lorelai smiled. "I love watching them sleep. Don't you love watching them sleep? They look so young, so perfect."

"Remember when they're babies? I was so grateful whenever he finally went to sleep, but even then, I had to watch for a little while."

"Exactly," Lorelai nodded. They both looked at the kids.

"Okay, well I should move him over," Luke said.

"Oh, right."

Luke scooped up Robbie, and Lorelai adjusted the covers back around Rory. She followed Luke into the other room and pulled back the covers on Robbie's bed so Luke could slide him right in. He pulled the blankets up around him, and kissed Robbie's sleep-flushed cheek.

Luke stood up to find Lorelai staring at him. Their eyes locked, until suddenly she spoke. "Hey, I was curious, does Robbie look like Rachel?"

Luke looked down at Robbie. "A little. I see some of her in him, especially when he smiles. She always says he looks more like me. If you see pictures of me from when I'm little, you can see the resemblance."

"Does she have red hair?" Lorelai reached down and touched one of Robbie's curls.

"Yes, reddish blonde."

"Do you think his hair will get more red as he gets older?"

"It's hard to say. My hair was blonde and curly too, when I was little."

"Really?" Lorelai looked at him carefully. She started to reach around to touch the curls at the back of his head but stopped her hand a few inches away. "Oh yeah, I see there's still some curl. And your hair is more light brown than dark brown, now that you mention it."

Luke cleared his throat. "How about Rory, does she look like...her dad?"

"Christopher. Yeah, some. She's a blend of us, I think. She's got my eyes, though."

"Yes," Luke nodded in instant agreement, looking directly into her eyes again.

Again Lorelai was the one to break the quiet moment, shaking her head as if coming out of a daze, and giving a small laugh. "Okay, clearly it's time for me to sleep. Thanks for watching Rory. See you in the morning, Luke."

"Leave at eight, just in case there's traffic?" he asked.

"That sounds good. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all. See you in the morning." He shut the door quietly after her, locking it, but standing there for a moment, listening to her moving about her room. It felt oddly intimate to have her there on the other side of the door. Her and Rory. But comfortable, at the same time. Like everything else here in Stars Hollow.

As he headed into the bathroom to brush his teeth, he thought of Rachel, wondering again what she was doing at that moment. He continued preparing himself for bed, deliberately trying to keep from thinking about his long talk with Mia, not wanting to dredge up all that emotion again.

Tomorrow, he thought, as he turned out the lights and settled in. Plenty of time for more worrying tomorrow.


	11. Sunday in Stars Hollow

Author's Note: This chapter marks the end of Part 1 of the story. There will be a total of three parts, each about equal in length, so we're looking at 30 chapters or so in total! Thanks for sticking with it thus far, I hope you all continue to enjoy it.

* * *

**Sunday in Stars Hollow**

_**Sunday, April 19, 1992**_

Luke was unraveling his tie and starting over for the third time, cursing under his breath, when a soft knock came at the adjoining door. He strode over to open it, glancing down at his son, who was sitting on the floor with a mutinous look on his face. Luke sighed as he pulled the door open.

"Morning, guys!" Lorelai breezed into the room. "We were going to head downstairs, try to score a little breakfast before heading out."

"I thought you were having breakfast at the country club?"

"Hours from now. Hours and hours," she said dramatically. "Church first, brunch later. Always best to go into these things with at least a partially full..." Lorelai trailed off, looking at Luke, who had returned to struggling with his tie, and at an obviously upset Robbie. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Luke scowled. "I can't get this right, plus I hate ties to begin with. This one," he nodded at Robbie, "is sulking because we can't find his tie. We must've left it in Brazil. I can't believe I have to go to church," he muttered.

"Here, let me do that." She stepped up to Luke and batted his hands away from his tie. "This is beautiful."

Luke snorted. "Beautiful or ugly, they're all nooses. But thanks. Italian."

"Those Italians, snappy dressers," Lorelai commented. She stepped back to assess her work, then stepped forward again for one more little tweak. She put her hands on Luke's shoulders and turned him around to face the mirror.

He fingered the tie appreciatively. "Thanks, that looks great. Where'd you learn…"

Lorelai cut him off. "I became an expert when my first boyfriend, Chad, ninth grade, was hopeless at tying his school tie. Kept getting demerits for it, which was seriously cutting into our after school making out time. So it was for purely selfish reasons on my part." She winked at Luke, both of them still looking in the mirror.

"You look great," she said lightly, picking up his sports jacket from the bed and holding it out for him. "Going all out to make a good impression on the churchgoers of Stars Hollow?"

"All future customers. Everyone has to eat, religious or not," Luke responded. He pulled his cuffs down and buttoned his jacket just for a minute to make sure it still fit. He looked at Lorelai. "You look very nice yourself. Very…"

"Grown up?" she said, eyes twinkling.

"I was going to say elegant, but grown-up works too."

"Usually I make our dresses for Easter, but I've been so busy learning all these new duties at the Inn, I decided to splurge and buy. And while I was shopping yesterday, I kept hearing your voice in my head, saying 'grown-up'. Very irritating. You ruined the fun of picking out a dress that would annoy my mother while staying, just barely, within the bounds of acceptable society. Thanks for that."

"Anytime," Luke answered succinctly. "Well, grown up or not, it's a beautiful dress, and you look great." He looked at her in her pale pink dress more closely. It hugged her form but not too tightly, the scooped neck showed just a hint of cleavage, and the skirt flared out and hovered just above her knees.

"Yup, I'm even wearing pantyhose, with almost sensible, non-white shoes, it being before Memorial Day and all. My mother will be shocked. Which she'll be sure to let me know."

Luke continued looking at her. Even her hair was more subdued than usual, pulled back from her face and fastened in the back with something.

Lorelai interrupted his perusal. "OK, mutual admiration society now over, I declare. What are we going to do about him?" Lorelai glanced over at Robbie and dropped her voice, "He's this upset over a missing tie?"

"Yeah, go figure. Unlike me, he loves getting dressed up. He's flipping out that he won't match me."

"Aw, he just wants to look like Daddy. That's sweet." She walked over to Robbie and knelt down, her dress fanning out prettily around her. "Hey there Robbie, you look great!"

"Daddy lost my tie."

"Well, I think he just left it behind by accident. Can you stand up so I can see how handsome you are?" She held out her hand and Robbie took it. Luke watched as she appraised Robbie's outfit. He wore a white collared shirt, sleeves neatly rolled up, with a charcoal gray pullover vest over it, with red accents. Black pants finished the outfit: the tantrum had forestalled shoes and socks.

"Well, you look very spiffy. I don't think you even need a tie. Though something on your feet might look good."

"Daddy has a tie."

"True. But he doesn't have a vest, and you do."

Robbie still scowled, but had no comeback to that.

Lorelai looked quickly back and forth between the two. "I have an idea, for one more little touch that will make you both look great." She looked over at Luke. "Do you have handkerchiefs, white ones?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I usually travel with them, for unexpected messes." He crossed over to the dresser and pulled two out of the top drawer. Lorelai stood in front of him once again, shook out a crisp white square, refolded it, and tucked it into the front pocket of his sports jacket, with some of it showing over the edge. Luke glanced down and frowned. "That looks really… "

"Very handsome," Lorelai cut him off loudly, shooting him a 'play along' glare. She turned to Robbie. "Okay, your turn. Your pocket's a little smaller, so let me just see if…" She folded and refolded the second handkerchief, then tucked it into Robbie's vest pocket. It looked a little lumpy, but she made it fit. "There. Go look in the mirror."

Robbie ran over and looked at his reflection. He looked at Luke's pocket, then back at his own, and beamed. "Cool! I'm going to go show Rory!"

"Sure."

Luke jumped in, "Wait, Robbie, your shoes!"

But Robbie was gone.

"Whoops, sorry, forgot that part." Lorelai said.

Luks scooped up Robbie's shoes, socks, and backpack, as well as his own keys and wallet. "No problem-thank you for working your magic with him again."

"It's a gift," Lorelai said airily. "Let's go make sure Rory's ready too. When I left her she was brushing her hair for 100 strokes."

"Um, okay." Luke looked confused.

"She got it from the _Little House_ books. Apparently women did that in olden times, to make their hair shiny. So now Rory does it every night. She forgot last night, so she had to do it this morning."

They found Rory almost ready to go. Luke complimented her dress as well. The shape looked similar to Lorelai's, but in a print material covered with small blue and pink flowers. As they walked in she was tugging on a pair of white tights and frowning.

"Do I have to wear tights?" she asked Lorelai.

"Yes, but just for the Hartford part of the day. You can take them off once we get back to Stars Hollow, if it's warm enough." As she said this, Lorelai placed herself in front of Rory, partially blocking her from Luke and Robbie's view. She flipped Rory's skirt up, grabbed the waistband of the tights, and with a quick tug and one final adjustment, declared "All set."

"Mom!" Rory protested, glancing over at Luke and Robbie in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, they didn't see your underpants," Lorelai assured her. "I was quick, like a ninja. Get your shoes and everything else, we gotta go."

Rory slipped on a pair of pink patent leather shoes and grabbed a little white straw purse with tiny pink and blue silk flowers on it. She stood still while Lorelai tied a ribbon in her hair. Luke got Robbie's socks and shoes on in the meantime, and they were set to go.

Luke and Lorelai, with Rory in the middle, were on the road to Hartford within 20 minutes. Mia had arrived and found them all in the kitchen, eating quick bowls of cereal while keeping well out of the way of Sookie and her brunch crew. After hurriedly finishing their last spoonfuls, they left Robbie with Mia and headed out.

As they drove through Stars Hollow, heading for the highway, Rory asked, "How was your date last night, Mom?"

"Oh, it was okay."

"Did you like him? "

"He was very nice."

"Was he smart? Funny?"

"Pretty smart, very funny."

"Was he cute?"

"He was okay looking. Nice looking." Lorelai paused, then said decisively, "He had a very nice face."

Luke snorted. "In case you're wondering, Rory, that's code for 'has big ears'."

Lorelai protested, "He did not have big ears!" She stopped to think. "Well, maybe they were a little...oversized, in proportion to his very nice face."

Luke and Rory laughed.

"So was it a 'love connection'?" Rory asked in a sing-songy voice.

"No, I don't think so," Lorelai said.

"How can you tell?" Rory asked curiously.

"I don't know, you just can. Some guys just feel like friends, some feel like something more. It's kind of a…"

"Gut thing," Luke broke in. "You feel it in your gut." He looked over at Lorelai and smiled. She smiled back.

"Okay," Rory said, satisfied.

They lapsed into silence. The closer they got to Hartford, the more oppressive the quiet felt to Luke.

"Hey," Luke said after a while, clearing his throat. "You two aren't talking. Are you nervous or something?"

"A little," Rory answered first.

"Really, sweetie?" Lorelai said.

"Grandma and Grandpa are just a little… scary."

Lorelai laughed. "I'll give you that. So hey, Mom will probably have a dress for you again. You can wear it if you want, you know, if it's not too starchy and ruffly for you."

"Really?" Rory asked skeptically.

"Yes, really." Lorelai sounded a little testy.

"Because at Christmas you and Grandma got into that big fight over me wearing the dress she bought me."

Lorelai glanced over Rory's head at Luke. "I know, I know. No fighting this time."

"Okay," Rory said. "Anything new on the forbidden topics list?" she asked.

Luke chuckled at that, and Lorelai rolled her head back onto the head rest and groaned. "No, no forbidden topics."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, no forbidden topics. Answer any questions you want."

"You mean, I can talk about Mia, Sookie, the cottage? You going on a date last night?"

Lorelai paused for a moment. "Well, let's not go crazy."

Rory's face fell.

"Oh, sweets, it's okay. Really, anything you want to talk about it it's fine. I'm a grown up," she declared, glancing over at Luke again. "I don't need to hide my life from my parents. We have a good life."

"We have a great life!" Rory agreed. "But Grandma doesn't need to know everything. We'll ease her in gradually." Both Luke and Lorelai chuckled at that.

"Next exit?" Luke asked.

"Yup. Exit 8 to Snootyville."

"Speaking of which, will this old monster of a truck upset your parents if they see it?" Luke asked. "Should I drop you a litttle ways away?"

"Oh no, it's okay. You don't need to pull right into the driveway and up to the front door, but it's fine to get close. Take a left here at the bottom of the ramp." She continued giving him directions, and soon enough they turned in to her parents street. "This is perfect," Lorelai assured him, as he pulled up to the curb in front of the walled-in home she indicated.

"Hold on," he said. He hopped out of the truck, and came around to open Lorelai's door. He held out his hand to help her down, then did the same for Rory.

"Such a gentleman," Lorelai quipped.

"Such lovely and delicate ladies," Luke replied, joking back. "Will you be okay taking the bus later? If you want me to come back for you I don't mind."

"No, that's fine. We'll be back in plenty of time for the afternoon festivities."

Luke groaned. "I should have known. Not just church, but the annual Stars Hollow Easter Egg Hunt?" he guessed.

Lorelai nodded.

"Remind me again why I came back?" he asked.

"You love it. And Robbie will too," she pointed out.

Luke opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't argue her latter point. "Okay, then, see you later."

"See you later, Luke. Thanks for the ride, really."

"Thanks, Luke." Rory echoed.

"No problem. Have… fun?" Lorelai rolled her eyes, and Rory giggled. He watched them walk towards the imposing mansion, hands tightly clasped. They turned and waved to him just before they entered the gated driveway, and he waved back.

* * *

Back in Stars Hollow, Luke slipped into a pew toward the back of the church, next to Mia. The service had just started, the choir singing the opening hymn.

"Where's Robbie?" he whispered to Mia.

"Down front." She pointed. Luke craned his neck and saw Robbie sitting with a bunch of other kids, at the feet of the minister. "The children's sermon is first," Mia told him, "then they go with the Sunday School teachers to the other building. Robbie said he wanted to go."

Luke nodded. He listened as the Assistant Pastor read a passage from the Bible, then the Reverend gave his short sermon. The children filed out the side door when it was over, each receiving a small potted flower from the church ladies as they went out. Luke smiled. "I remember getting those flowers," he murmured to Mia. He settled into his long forgotten church mode: bored, but peaceful.

At the end of the service, he and Mia filed out and approached the minister, who was standing outside to greet the parishioners. "Reverend Snow, you remember Luke Danes, of course? William and Ellen's son?" Mia said smoothly to the aging minister.

"Of course, of course."

Luke said a brief hello, then left Mia chatting as he headed back to the Sunday School building to pick up Robbie. He looked up and down the hallway, filled with parents and kids, trying to figure out which room would be for the preschoolers.

"Luke! Over here!" He turned and saw Sarah Fallon, husband and baby in tow, heading toward him.

"Sarah, nice to see you again."

"Happy Easter! Meet my husband, Ryan. This is Luke Danes, our landlord," she grinned.

"Good to meet The Man," Ryan joked. Luke smiled and shook hands with him. "They're in this room," Sarah gestured and they walked toward a room at one end of the hallway. Inside they found just a few kids left. Two girls and a boy were chasing each other around the tables, while an older woman, mostly ignoring them, stood behind Maeve and Robbie, who were drawing pictures.

Robbie looked up as Luke and the Fallons approached. "Daddy! Maeve's mom! Look at our pictures!" The grownups admired their 'Easter Blessings' drawings, and then Luke introduced himself to the teacher.

"Florence Allen," she answered. "Pleased to meet you. Robbie is a delight. He seemed to really enjoy playing with the other children."

"Thank you. We've been living abroad, at times with lots of kids around, other times not so much."

"Welcome back to Stars Hollow, Luke. You're William and Ellen's son, yes? Liz's brother?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Liz was in my very first Sunday school class here in Stars Hollow. She was a real live wire."

"Still is," Luke smiled.

"I can imagine." She began carrying boxes of crayons and other art supplies to a cabinet on the side of the room. "So Luke, tell me, have you moved back for good or are you just visiting?"

"For good."

"So you'll be enrolling Robbie in kindergarten for the fall?"

"Yes, I hope to get over to the school this week, see what I need to do."

"They're just starting the kindergarten screening appointments, so your timing is perfect. Listen, in addition to teaching Sunday School, I run the church's preschool. There are only about eight weeks left in the year, but if you were interested, we do have space in the four-year-old class if you'd like to enroll Robbie for the rest of the term."

"Really?" Luke's eyes lit up.

"Yes. It's in our afternoon class, which is the less popular schedule for parents if their children still nap. Does Robbie?"

"He does, most days, but I have a feeling he'll do okay – he'll be so excited to be with other kids. And I was planning to phase his nap out this summer anyway."

She smiled. "Well, perfect then. Think about it, talk to Robbie, and both of you come see me tomorrow at lunch time if you'd like to get him started. I think it would be good for him, help get him ready for kindergarten in the fall."

"That would be great. Here? This same building?"

"Yes. My office is down at the other end of the hall. 12:45, shall we say? We can introduce him to Miss Nancy, our teacher for the four year olds, see how he does, and then you and I can handle the paperwork."

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow then. Thank you," Luke said sincerely.

"You're most welcome. We'll be happy to have him if that's what you decide," she said again.

Luke moved back to the kids' table, where Sarah was helping them gather up their pictures. "Daddy, look at the flower I got – it's pink!" Robbie held up the flower.

"Pretty. Let's go find Mia, see what's next," Luke suggested.

"Can we go to the Easter Egg Hunt? Maeve is going."

Luke looked over at Sarah and Ryan, who confirmed their attendance. "Sure, buddy. Let's have some lunch first, I think the egg hunt isn't until later?"

"It's at three," Sarah confirmed. "Other fun stuff begins around two, so you can get back here anytime that hour."

Luke nodded, then looked over at Ryan, "Maybe we could swing by the house after that and I could get some of the camping stuff out of the garage?"

Ryan nodded, "Sure, whenever you want."

They'd arrived back at the front of the church, where Mia was supervising the transfer of the church flowers over to decorate the gazebo. Luke introduced the Fallons, and they all chatted for a few minutes. Robbie and Maeve, soon bored of the adult conversation but prevented from heading anywhere else by their parents, began tugging on hands.

"Okay, okay," Sarah laughed. "I guess we'll be going." Ryan settled Liam into the stroller.

"We'll see you later, then," Luke confirmed.

"Bye Maeve!"

"Bye Robbie!"

Mia smiled, and, hooking one arm through Luke's and offering Robbie her other hand, said, "Shall we go see what wonderful things Sookie came up with for Easter brunch?"

"Yes!" Robbie immediately agreed.

* * *

Easter afternoon turned out to be more pleasant than Luke had expected. After the past several days of nonstop sorting in the old store, he was happy for some time off. He chatted for a time with the Fallons, while Maeve and Robbie played games led by some high school students. Assured that Robbie was in good hands, he made his way to the gazebo steps to rest for a bit before the egg hunt, which he assumed he would have to accompany Robbie on. But just as Robbie ran up to him, all excited that the hunt was about to start, Lorelai and Rory approached, and Rory asked for Robbie to be her partner. Luke readily agreed.

"Your dress is very puffy," Robbie said to Rory as she took his hand and her skirt billowed into his side. Luke noticed that she did indeed have a new dress on: yellow and white with a very full skirt.

"I know!" Rory said in excitement. "It's really good for twirling!" She let go of his hand and spun around.

"No fighting over the dress?" Luke asked.

"No fighting," Rory said. "I like it. It makes me feel like Sarah Crewe, discovering riches in her attic room."

Lorelai reacted in mock horror, "Sarah from _The Little Princess_? That makes me horrible headmistress Miss Minchin! Mean!"

Rory laughed. "No, you can be Ram Dass, Mom."

"Cool!" Lorelai smiled in satisfaction, then asked "Are you sure you don't want to change out of that? It could get dirty."

"I'll be careful. Come on, let's go pick our baskets." She tugged on Lorelai's hand.

Luke started to get up. "No, stay," Lorelai told him. "You look really comfortable there. I'll take them over."

"Okay, thanks," Luke agreed. "Have fun, buddy, and stay close to Rory."

"I will."

Luke leaned back on his elbows and stretched out his legs, relaxing even further. He once again thought of Italy, and appreciated having that same sense of multiple people looking out for his son. He watched as Rory and Robbie selected baskets, then set off looking for eggs. He surveyed the crowd of spectators for Lorelai. She was talking with Miss Patty and Babette, laughing and gesturing. She broke away, and stopped to talk to another small group of people. He continued to alternate looking for Robbie and Rory on their hunt, and watching Lorelai's slow progress back to him. He smiled at her ease with all of the different townspeople. She even managed to talk for a few minutes with the decidedly odd Kirk, not rolling her eyes until she turned away. And he saw and heard her go out of her way to thank and compliment Taylor for the festivities.

He shook his head slightly at how different people could be. Like Rachel, she sought out others, while he was generally content to let people come to him. But unlike Rachel, Lorelai seemed to love this town. He wondered if the half day spent back in Hartford made her even more eager to reconnect with her adopted townies. He was curious to hear how things went in Hartford. When she finally dropped down next to him on the stairs, that was the first question he asked.

"Pretty good, actually." She sounded surprised. "The acting like a grown-up thing seemed to work," she said.

"Yeah?"

"I tried not to react to every annoying, condescending, or critical thing they said, and just changed the subject instead."

"Good tactic."

"They seemed mildly pleased and very relieved to hear about my latest promotion. They'll never quite get over the horror of my having been a maid for so long, but at least now they can try and put it behind them."

"Not followers of the 'all work has dignity' school of thought?" Luke asked.

Lorelai snorted. "Nope. Snobs to the core. But I did try and talk about the town more, highlighting the good rather than the crazy. Make them see that I've built a real life here."

"How'd they react?"

"My mom was a bit thrown, I think. She's not used to me sharing anything. She was sort of quieter than usual, didn't talk incessantly as she often does." Lorelai shrugged. "It was okay. Nothing earth shattering, just a small step toward better."

"That's good," Luke said.

They fell silent, looking out over the Square. They spotted Rory and Robbie, hunting for a last few eggs as the final countdown began. When they ran up a few minutes later, Luke and Lorelai praised their loot with appropriate enthusiasm.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. As people began heading home, Luke and Robbie drove over to the Fallons to retrieve the camping equipment from the garage. Back at the store, Luke hauled it into one of the storage rooms until he could clear more space upstairs tomorrow. He was eager to be in their own space, and to stop spending money on a room, but at the same time a little sad to leave the Inn.

As they pulled up at dusk, he felt acutely how much the Independence already felt like home, after less than a week. Mia, Rory, and Lorelai were not around, so Luke decided to make it another room service evening. He wasn't all that hungry, but he wanted Robbie to have something real in his stomach to counteract all the sugar from his Easter basket. Afterwards they watched a little TV, first a kid's show that Robbie had seen the night before with Rory, then switching over to baseball, where Luke tried to explain some of the rudiments of the game to Robbie. Robbie soon began to fade, and Luke helped get him get ready for bed, and himself too.

With the game still on in the background, he puttered a bit, packing up for tomorrow's move. Checking that Robbie was all the way asleep, he got into bed himself. The game was almost over, and not very exciting. Luke began to doze. Just as he had roused himself long enough to turn off the TV, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"What are you wearing?"

"Rachel, hey," he said softly.

"I'm serious, what are you wearing?" she chuckled.

"Are you drunk?" Luke asked.

"No. Yes. A little."

"Where are you? Is there a party at the base station or something?"

Rachel laughed again. "We're not at base camp."

"So where are you?"

"Turks and Caicos"

"Where?"

"They're islands in the Caribbean. We're at a resort. It's beautiful."

"How did that happen?"

"Don't be mad."

Luke sighed. "I'm not mad, just curious."

"Well, we finished up the shoot in three days not four, and when we got back to base, Sophia had a message on her cell phone. A writer friend of hers had an assignment at this resort, but his photographer had just canceled on him, and he himself had another job that he was eager to get to, so did we want to take the resort job for him?"

"So you took it, obviously. How long?"

"Ah Luke, the right question is, how _much_?"

"How much?"

"A lot! About three times the going magazine rate. It's for a new brochure. Three to four weeks work, great money plus the free stay at the resort."

"Okay."

"Are you annoyed? You sound annoyed."

"I'm not, I'm just – I guess we won't see you for another 5 or 6 weeks then?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right. I need to go back to Rio, get everything settled before we head for the states."

"Will this mess up the book meetings?" Luke asked.

"No, that's part of why we took it. Sophia's contact at the publishing firm kept postponing the meeting. Apparently there's a new boss or division or reorganization or something. So there's no urgency to get to New York."

"Any urgency to get to Stars Hollow?" Luke couldn't help asking.

"Of course there is, but…"

"No, it's okay, I'm sorry." Luke tamped down his irritation. "More money is always good, plus I'm always glad when you're safely out of the jungle."

"Yeah, I mean, the resort has its tacky parts, but it's beautiful here. It's too bad you guys already left, we would have had fun here."

"Yeah," Luke said, not paying full attention to her as he looked for one of his lists in the bedside drawer.

"I miss you, do you miss me?"

"Of course we do. I'm glad you called, I need to tell you about a bunch of things, lots of decisions I've been making."

"Ugh, no, I'm not in the mood for all that stuff right now."

"Rachel, I haven't talked to you in days, I need to fill you in, check with you on some stuff."

"Hey, wait...what about all the times I went ahead, and you never let me give any details, just told me to make all the decisions?"

"Yeah, but this is different," Luke said.

"How? You didn't want to deal until you got to the new place. Said you couldn't handle going and coming at the same time." She rushed on. "Tomorrow. Now that I'm back in civilization we can talk every day if we need to. All the boring stuff. Tell me the fun stuff now, like who you've seen. Tell me about all the good crazy folk of Stars Hollow."

"Really?"

"Yes. Tell me everyone you've seen. Go back to the beginning. You drove into town Tuesday…"

"Okay, well, the first person I saw was Fran, when we went to Weston's to get the store keys."

"Ah, Weston's. Those oatmeal cookies still good?"

"We had sugar."

"Traitors."

"Robbie had a meltdown over wanting a chocolate one. That's when we met Lorelai, she jollied him out of that. She works for Mia, out at the Inn."

"Young? Old? Pretty?"

"Young, maybe 24? She has an eight-year-old daughter, Rory."

"Wow, she had her young, huh?"

"Yup, younger than us, younger than Liz even. Ran away from home when Rory was one, Mia took her in, gave her a job."

"Dramatic story, love it. Will I like her?"

"I think so, yes. She's friendly with everyone, like you are."

"Good. Next?"

"That first day, Taylor…"

"Ugh."

"Miss Patty, Kirk."

Rachel laughed. "Oh God, I haven't thought of him at all since I left..."

"Andrew, he's the new owner of Stars Hollow books. Then lots of people stopped by the store that afternoon. Mrs. Cassini, Babette, Morey...Bootsie."

"Ugggh… " Rachel dragged that one out.

Luke laughed. "Yeah."

"Mia, of course."

"She's good?"

"Yup. Inn is doing great. Sookie St. James is a chef there now, do you remember her from school? She was a freshman when we were seniors."

"Red hair? Pretty, bubbly?"

"Yup. Great cook."

"Hah. You guys talking food nonstop?"

"Not much, no. Whenever I've seen her she's been really busy."

"Okay, who else, are we on day two yet?"

"Yes, day two. I went out to see Ed Tallman, to get my truck back."

"How is Ed? Did you see Carol?" Rachel's voice took on a teasing quality.

"No, she and her _husband_," Luke stressed that last word, "were away."

Rachel laughed. "Who else?"

"God Rachel, everyone?"

"It makes me happy, picturing you back with all these familiar people. Is Robbie liking everyone?"

"He's happy as a clam. Already attached to Mia, and to Rory, Lorelai's daughter. Also best friends with Jaime, the Inn's gardener."

Rachel laughed again. "Oh! What about Maisie and Bud?"

"Took Robbie there Thursday for lunch. Picked their brains about the restaurant business."

"Any of their kids there?"

"Nope."

"Who else? Anyone else new?"

"Well, I went into Hartford, met up with Bob Turcotte who ran the store. I don't think you knew him."

"Nope."

"Met a guy, owner of a sports bar. Talked about the restaurant business with him too."

"Boring, boring. Tell me stories, people stories."

"Met the renters. Stay at home mom, with a girl Robbie's age and a baby. They're moving to the Hartford suburbs sometime over the summer, so we can sell the house if we want."

"What was she like – pretty? Was she a _bored _housewife?" she asked suggestively.

"Rachel…"

"Relax, I'm just curious. Trying to get a picture of everyone."

"What's up with you? You're in a weird mood."

"Yeah. The alcohol's wearing off. I feel restless."

"Where's Sophia?"

Rachel snorted. "With a man…"

"Man? She knows someone there?"

"She _met_ someone here. Tonight, in the bar. "

"Wow, that's fast."

Rachel chuckled. "That's Sophia."

"So you felt like a third wheel and left to call me?" Luke asked.

"No, they left _me_, after all of half an hour, and I felt conspicuously married among all the mingling singles, and came to call you."

"Nice."

"This is what she does. Wherever we go, she sets her eyes on a guy, picks him up, has what seems to be fabulous sex for as long as we're around, or until he has to leave..."

"You jealous?" Luke asked, trying to joke but maybe missing the mark, he thought.

"Nah. Well, maybe a little, in theory. Been a while since you and I have played 'strangers in a bar'..."

Luke groaned. "Don't remind me."

"What? It's fun! Isn't it fun?"

"You know I hate the pretend part. I feel like an idiot."

"You like the results though, don't you?" Rachel's voice was a little husky.

"Well, yeah. Who wouldn't enjoy the results?"

"The results are spectacular…"

"Rachel…" Luke said warningly.

"Luke…" Rachel mimicked him and laughed again. "Remember when you met me in Rome?"

"Yes."

"I'd been away for a month, and couldn't get back to Tuscany for another two weeks, and you got on a train and met me in the hotel bar?"

"I said I remember, but thanks for the recap."

"Let's meet up in New York."

"Huh?"

"By the time I'm done here, it will be more than a month since we've…seen each other. And I'll be stuck in New York for at least a few days… It could be Rome all over again."

"And Robbie?" Luke asked.

"Focus, Luke, I'm spinning a fantasy here. Tell me what you'd be wearing."

Luke groaned. "Rachel."

"I'll be wearing green. Something green and silky, maybe a little low-cut. You like me in green."

"It looks good with your hair," Luke muttered.

"Ooh, good boy. Almost a compliment. What will you do when you see me?"

"Rachel, I'm not doing this."

"'This'?" she asked innocently.

Luke dropped his voice to a whisper. "Yes, this, phone sex. Robbie's three feet away from me."

"Sound asleep?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm not doing it."

"Aw, you're no fun. How about I do all the talking?"

"No."

"What is the matter with you?" Just like that the sultry voice was gone.

Just like that, his anger flared. "I don't appreciate you calling me up, drunk, coming from a bar where you've probably been ogling other guys, and then using me on the phone to get yourself off."

"Ogling _me_. Other guys ogling _me_. And me doing _nothing_ about it, and coming back to talk to my _husband_ on the phone. Yeah, big crime there."

Luke was silent. He wasn't sure how this had gotten ugly so fast.

Rachel sighed. She began talking again, in a gentler tone. "We're married, Luke, not dead. I'm going to notice other guys, you're going to notice other women…"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say that we're young, and…alive, and married, but we're not in the same bed very often let alone the same continent at the moment…"

"And?"

"And I miss you, I miss us, and it's hard to be apart and yes, sometimes another person's going to catch my attention, but I don't act on it, I'd never act on it, but it makes me miss you more."

"Okay, I can see that," Luke conceded.

"How about you? All those lovely ladies in Stars Hollow, no one stirs up any interest?"

"No."

"Not looking to hook back up with Carol, lovely farmer's daughter and your very first kiss?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Never tell women anything. Why is that so hard to learn?"

"The lovely Lorelai? Sultry Sookie? Marvelous Mia?"

"Oh my god, Rachel..."

"Sorry, sorry, I know she's like a mom to you. But you have to admit, she's pretty attractive."

"I'm hanging up now."

"No! Wait! Sorry. Oh, I know. Sarah, the bored but beautiful housewife?"

"Just how much did you have to drink tonight?"

Rachel laughed. "Seriously, nobody? You never notice anyone attractive? Never think about them?"

"Of course I notice, but I only think about you."

"Who do you notice? Who do you think is pretty?"

"I'm not answering that. I'm not an idiot."

"Ooh, I know, that beautiful woman in the market, in Tuscany, the fishmarket lady!"

"No comment."

"You think I didn't notice the discount she gave you that time?"

"I never asked for that."

"But you didn't turn it down."

"Frugality is a virtue."

Rachel laughed. "My virtuous husband. One woman man. Only wants to make love to me."

"Only you, Rachel," Luke agreed softly.

"Well… I don't know about you, but that's what I'm thinking about when I hang up the phone."

"What?"

"You, making love to me." The sultry voice was back. Luke shifted in the bed. "I'm going to remember Rome – both that first time, hot and fast and barely making it to the bed, and the next morning, soft and slow."

Luke shifted again.

"And then I'm going to imagine New York, and what new fun we can get into. I was reading Cosmo in the lobby today…"

"You're killing me here, stop."

"You can think about me too you know, after we hang up."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

Rachel was quiet. He could still hear her breathing though. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Sooo fine. You sure you don't want to hear what I'm doing right now, what I'm wearing...or not wearing?"

"I'm just going to get some sleep. Try anyway."

Rachel chuckled, then gave an exaggerated moan.

"Good night, porn star," he laughed. "Have fun."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too. Talk to you tomorrow…Oh, Rachel?"

But she had hung up, before he could give her the new phone numbers, or get the name of the resort. He hung up the phone, and looked over at Robbie, to make sure he still slept peacefully. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, trying not to think too carefully about the weird conversation they had just had, and trying to ignore his arousal. He thought about getting up for a cold drink of water, or a cold shower, or a warm shower plus some slippery soap. Or just taking care of it in the bathroom, no shower necessary. In the end, he just rolled over and recited recipes to make himself sleepy.

* * *

_Early, very early in the still-dark morning, Luke heard a rooster crow. _

_"You're here." Carol Tallman's head popped up over an empty stall. _

_"Carol, jeez, you scared me."_

_"Did you come to work for my dad, or to get a second kiss?"_

_"Um…"_

_"That first kiss was goood, Luke."_

_Carol opened the stall door, and held out her hand, leading Luke in. She unbuckled her overalls and let the bib fall to her waist. She was wearing a red checked blouse, tied under her breasts, and exposing her tanned midriff. Her hair hung down in ponytails on either side. _

_"Why are you dressed like Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island?" Luke asked. _

_Carol laughed, and fell down backwards onto the pile of fresh straw. All of a sudden it was bright daylight, and she looked up at Luke. "Because I am Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island."_

_"You are?" _

_"Didn't you notice my hair is dark and curly, not blonde and in braids? Come down here, Luke."_

_Lukes eyes jerked down to her chest, where she was starting to untie her blouse. "You're Mary Ann, for real?"_

_"Come down here, find out for yourself."_

_"No, no, I'm good up here." He couldn't draw his eyes away from her hands, which were starting to pull back the blouse and expose the rise of her breasts. _

_"You can come down here with me, it's okay. I'm not Mary Ann, I'm Lorelai."_

_Luke's eyes flew to her face. She was Lorelai, beautiful and laughing, and opening her blouse fully. _

Luke struggled to open his eyes in the early gray dawn, trying to force away the weird dream.

_"Lorelai?" he asked sleepily. He heard the door close, and the bed dip behind him. _

_"Right here. I just checked on the kids."_

_"Robbie? Rory?" _

_"They're both fine. Still asleep. In the other room."_

_"Mmm." Luke began to drift off as Lorelai snuggled up behind him, draping one hand over his stomach and kissing his neck._

_"They're sound asleep, Luke, and all the way on the other side of that closed door."_

_Luke felt her hand move down, and then another kiss, just under his ear. _

_"All the way in the other room, eh?" he said, his voice gravelly with sleep, as he rolled toward her and cupped her breast in his hand. Before she could answer he was kissing her, and he felt her respond beneath his grasping hand. "Mmm..."_

This time, Luke's eyes popped open for real. Bright morning sun blinded him. He closed them again, wanting to go back to the dream, wishing he could go back to sleep. He felt the warm afterglow slipping away, and tried desperately to hold on to it.

He was awake. Alone in his bed, Robbie still asleep in the other bed. He rolled over onto his back, as he had last night, and once again stared at the ceiling.

"Damn it," he whispered. "Damn it, Rachel."

_**~End of Part 1~**_


	12. Luke on a Hot Tin Roof

**Author's Note:** Well, I didn't mean to leave you all hanging for quite THAT long! We're transitioning here: into Part 2 of the story, which will get a little angstier for a while; and to my fall schedule, which is leaving me fewer stretches of obsessive writing time. But never fear, I am still several chapters ahead of this in the rough draft, I have a detailed outline for the rest of Part 2, and a pretty good plan in my head for Part 3, so the creative road forward is clear. Thanks to all of you for the continued feedback and support, I appreciate it more than you know.

* * *

**Luke on a Hot Tin Roof**

**_Tuesday, April 28, 1992_**

As the beginning of May approached, life for Luke and Robbie had started to settle into a new routine. Robbie had responded enthusiastically to the idea of school, and there he went happily every afternoon after lunch, for a little over two hours. It wasn't much time, but it broke up the day nicely. Luke became an expert at fitting in one or two or sometimes even three errands, if all three were in the same direction. And the errands never seemed to end. With three major projects going on at once, Luke was never without about a half-dozen lists of things to do.

He had thought he would concentrate first on turning the office into an apartment, then on re-creating the business space as a diner, then on prepping and puting the house up for sale only after the Fallons moved out, sometime later in the summer.

Tom the Builder and Jodi the Real Estate Agent soon disabused him of this idea.

Tom Harris came recommended from several people as an experienced construction man who had just recently opened up his own business as a contractor. Probably due to the newness of his shingle, Tom was willing to work with Luke in a somewhat unorthodox fashion: Luke would do a lot of the work himself, but would hire Tom to officially draw up and file the building plans, and to complete the parts of the remodels that needed certification, such as electric and plumbing. Tom seemed to understand Luke's desire to save money, and Luke suspected Tom was more eager than he let on to take a job right in the middle of town, where even if it was just for a week here and there, multiple people would see "Tom Harris, General Contractor", on the side of his truck.

Tom quickly nixed the plan of apartment first, diner second. He pointed out that it was much more efficient, and therefore more cost-effective, to expand both bathrooms and install both kitchens at the same time. Which meant that a lot of other things had to happen at once.

The clearing and sorting continued: Luke spent a few hours on this every night, deciding and filing and shredding his way through the boxes of paper, business and personal. In the mornings, he shifted the boxes of everything else around as he measured and sketched and consulted with Tom and Buddy on how best to lay out the back rooms of the diner and decide the floor plan of the apartment.

In the afternoons, he ran errands. To the bank, to figure out finances. To stores and vendors, to compare prices on commercial appliances, then residential appliances. And at night, when he couldn't stand another minute of going through papers, he turned to the numbers. He'd add whatever prices he had discovered on his travels that day to the overall balance sheet.

The picture wasn't nearly complete: after the appliances there would be lumber and materials and labor and dishes and silverware and food and menus and advertising and salaries all to calculate. Even so, ending each long day with the numbers soothed him. If he just kept plugging along, soon he'd be able to figure out if it was going to work, at least on paper.

* * *

Rachel calling every other night became part of the routine as well. Their first night camping out, the upstairs phone rang. Robbie ran for the phone, and his joyful yell of "Mommy!" made Luke smile. He grabbed the "Mommy diary" from the box of bedtime books near Robbie's bed and placed it next to his son in case he wanted it, but Robbie didn't even give it a second glance. Twenty minutes of almost non-stop talking later, Robbie finally ran out of steam. "Bye Mommy," he said abruptly, and handed the phone to Luke.

"Hey," Luke said.

"Wow – I'm not sure if I've ever heard him talk that much at once!" Rachel sounded awed.

"Yeah – he's been saving up a lot to tell you."

"He sounds really happy, really excited," Rachel observed.

"He is. He really loved his first day of nursery school."

"Yes, so I heard. I figured out Miss Nancy is the teacher, but who's Maeve?"

"She's the daughter of our renters, the Fallons. She's there three afternoons a week, apparently."

"I know. He sounded quite bereft at the prospect of tomorrow without her."

Luke laughed.

"So… the Inn gave me two numbers."

"Yeah, I decided to keep the old store number for up here, and got a new one for downstairs."

"So no more Williams Hardware?"

"No more Williams Hardware."

There was silence on Rachel's end of the line.

Luke jumped in. "You can't be surprised at that Rachel. The business isn't viable. And I never loved hardware."

"But you do love food."

"I do."

"Restaurant?"

"You know?"

"I'm not an idiot, Luke. I may be an avoider, but I'm not an idiot. You've been thinking about this for a while, right?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"A long time."

"Luke…"

"Since before Dad got sick."

"Wow."

"Yeah, listen…"

"Wait," Rachel asked. "Give me a minute here."

"Okay," Luke said nervously. He took a moment himself, to check where Robbie had gotten to, and once he spotted him playing over by the sleeping bags, he moved away to the corner farthest from him. He had a feeling the conversation might get a little heated.

Rachel spoke. "Okay, so, I think we're just going to leave that there for now."

"Rachel, let me ex..."

"No, Luke, really. I don't want to deal right now with the implications of you having a life plan that you apparently put on hold to follow me around the world, and never bothered to tell me about. Not yet."

"Rachel, it wasn't like that…" Luke tried again.

"Seriously, Luke, I'm asking you to let me not to talk about it now. Something you should respect."

"Okay."

"Now, I know you must have a list of other things to ask me – all the boring stuff I wouldn't let you get to last night." She laughed. "Though it turns out the boring stuff isn't that dull after all, eh?"

When Luke didn't reply to that, she asked, "Okay, what's on your list?"

"Well, I know Robbie talked your ear off but yes, I have a few big things to tell you about, to get your input on."

"Shoot."

"Number one: school. I want to get Robbie registered to start Kindergarten in the fall."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Well, sure. We talked about that before you left. I assume the schools are still fine? The big-city crack epidemic hasn't spread to Stars Hollow, decimating the public schools?"

Luke laughed. "Not that I know of."

"And you think he's ready?"

"I do. Do you?"

"Yes, I think he's more than ready for school. So that's fine."

Luke felt nervous at the way she was speaking, and of what she was leaving unsaid, but he pressed on. "Great. Number two, the house. Would you be okay with us selling it?"

Rachel's tone softened a bit from the brisk, businesslike tone she'd been using. "Luke, it's your house, your childhood home, you don't need to ask me about that."

"I appreciate that, Rachel, but of course I do. It's hopefully worth a good chunk of money, and it belongs to us both."

"Well, would you want to live there?" she asked.

"Not really. I mean, I don't have strong feelings either way, on the actual living there. But it seems like more space than we need now, and I'd rather put the money into making the store into a restaurant, and the office into an apartment. Which brings us to number three."

"Which is?"

"If we do sell, would you be okay with me using the house money, and some of the other money from my Dad, to convert the building?"

"Yes."

"That's it?" he asked. Rachel's quick, decisive answers were confusing him.

"Look," she said, "I know you keep saying it's ours, and I understand that in a legal sense, but really, I consider that your money."

"And if it fails?"

"Well, I don't think it will fail. But if it does, you'll sell the building and move on. Or rent the space and move on."

Luke chuckled.

"What?"

"You make it sound so easy."

"Well, I have faith in you. You've always had faith in me and my work, my ability to support us."

"Yeah."

"Well, back atcha. Let me just ask you a few questions."

"Okay," Luke agreed.

"You own the building outright, yes?"

"_We_ own the building outright, yes."

"Okay, let's say you do this for a few years, and then something changes for us, we want to live somewhere else, do something else. Would you be able to sell the restaurant?"

"You mean would there be buyers? I think so. Sookie and Lorelai seem to think there's a real need for a diner or family type restaurant in town, so I imagine I'd be able to sell it."

Silence again echoed down the phone line.

"Rachel?"

"Yeah, okay, we're going to put a pin in that little revelation as well."

"What revelation?"

"That you've been talking about your restaurant dream with everyone but me."

"I told you last night that I've been talking restaurants with all sorts of people."

"Three people. You mentioned three people yesterday. Two close family friends, and one stranger. Now you mention two more today."

"So, three people, five people, what diff.."

Rachel interrupted him. "Pin in. Let's move on."

Luke sighed in exasperation. "What was your next question?"

"Same question, on the apartment. You'll do a careful job on the renovation, so it will be rentable to someone else if we decide to get a house, or move away?"

Luke didn't like the way she kept bringing up moving away, but decided he could put pins in things too. "Yeah, I think that will be fine. I mean, it's not going to be anything fancy, but the work will be high-quality and durable. For us and for anyone in the future."

"Okay, that sounds fine then. Those were my questions. What are we up to on your list, number four?"

"Well, I guess number four is moving ahead on the diner plan. Hiring a contractor, buying materials."

"That's all fine."

"Huh?" Now Luke was completely lost. Wasn't this the part she was upset about?

Rachel sighed impatiently. "We just talked about that. If you want to give it a go, you should do it. I think it's worth the gamble. A diner sounds like it will fit right in. And I think it will make money. You're an excellent cook, the food will be great, and, as we've established here tonight, you've been thinking about this for a long time. I know you wouldn't act on anything so big without planning for every contingency."

"So you're okay with me moving forward?"

"Yes."

"And the other part?"

"The keeping your dream from me for five plus years? Not so okay with that, but I'd like to think about it some. Maybe we could wait and talk about it in person?"

"Sounds good," Luke agreed, relieved.

"Good. Anything else?" Rachel's business voice was back.

"No, I think that's all the big stuff. I mean, if you're okay with me moving ahead on all of that, I assume you don't need me to check every detail with you?"

"Such as?"

"Like what color refrigerator, or...summer camp for Robbie?"

"I trust you with all that. No, you don't need to check in with me on details like that."

"Okay." Luke felt surprisingly good about their conversation, considering all the landmines they'd been dancing over. "So we are okay?" he asked.

Rachel sighed. Luke waited.

"I don't know if we're okay, Luke. Honestly, I don't think you know either." She paused, but when he didn't answer, continued. "For now, we're fine. You keep the ball rolling on all that stuff, I'm fine with that. I'll finish up this job, make us a nice big deposit for the bank account, and then get Brazil squared away."

"But?"

"But... the bigger issue? Can we make this work, two diametrically opposed dreams, two careers? And one little boy we both adore? Can all that fit into a marriage? I have no idea."

Luke was stricken. "Rachel…"

"God, Luke, stop. Why are you pushing this? The one time I don't want to talk I can't shut you up. There are issues here, serious issues, and I don't want to talk about them here, now, over the phone. But I'm not going to pretend everything is hunky dory either. We've got a lot to talk about when I get there."

"I know. You're right. We do."

"Good. So let's get through the next few weeks. I'll call again, talk to Robbie more regularly so the poor little guy doesn't burst open with news."

"Sounds good."

"Ok, so, I'm going to go now."

"I love you," Luke said.

"I love you too." Silence, like maybe she was going to say more. But then she hung up.

* * *

As troubling as the phone call was, one upside was that Luke felt more comfortable moving ahead with decisions. He took Rachel at her word: she was okay with Stars Hollow as the plan for now, and with him going forward on it. She was Rachel – she wanted to know that there was an out for them, that they weren't permanently tied down to one place, especially Stars Hollow. Once that was clear, she was okay. And he agreed that the larger issues needed to be dealt with in person.

And so he found himself going full steam ahead. Making plans, calculating costs, running errands.

Jodi the Real Estate Agent was more established than Tom, and much bossier. Luke stopped into her agency spontaneously, after his bank meeting with Joanna, just meaning to say hello and set up an appointment. He left half an hour later with a business card, a draft timeline typed up by Jodi's secretary, a seven-page check list for prepping your home for sale, and a video on closing the deal. Jody seemed unconcerned that he had no TV, let alone a VCR.

The bottom line was that Luke was woefully behind. Mortgage rates were low _now_, buying season was _now_. Families wanted to buy in the spring, move in the summer, and have their kids in their new schools in September. If he wanted to get the best price possible, in a tough market, they needed to start now.

And so prepping the house for sale became simultaneous project number three.

Luke was hesitant to approach the Fallons with the news, but with Jodi determined to do her walk through the very next day after he met her, he'd headed over that evening after dinner. Sarah and Ryan completely understood, being on the same timetable themselves, and agreed to a room by room purge of all extraneous stuff ("a house that's furnished, but not cluttered, that is decorated, but neutrally, will sell for more, and more quickly") so that Luke could make small repairs, paint, and clean the carpets.

Sarah kept reassuring him that she was happy, that this was forcing her to do the necessary pre-moving sort and purge ahead of time, but he still felt bad for disrupting their lives. On the plus side, Robbie and Maeve became even faster friends.

* * *

And through all these busy days and nights, Luke tortured himself over Lorelai.

He had so much else to think about, so much to distract him, and yet there she was, in his head whenever he paused to think, or breathe. It was a torture composed of guilt, anxiety, and at times, sweet speculation. Followed swiftly by more guilt and anxiety.

Because he had, and he could admit this, a genuine crush on her.

When he woke up from his dream of her that Monday morning after Easter, his first reaction was to curse Rachel. He blamed her for stirring him up, for literally arousing him, then mentioning names. And he cursed himself, for falling asleep in his jumbled state. Just libido, he told himself, just Rachel causing trouble, without even really meaning too.

That rationale lasted all of thirty minutes, until he first saw Lorelai that morning. Saw her fresh and beautiful, juggling three tasks at once, teasing Robbie as she sat with them long enough to down a cup of coffee.

The veil had lifted.

Just enough to recognize that his heart sped up a little when she smiled, and a lot when she smiled _at_ him. Enough to notice the tingle he felt when she lightly touched his shoulder. To consciously have to resist the urge to pull her in tighter when she hugged him in the lobby, after hugging Robbie, and telling them both that she and Rory and Mia would miss having them at the Inn.

So he had a crush, so he found her physically attractive, so what?

This was his feeble attempt to calm himself, as he made the short drive from the Inn to town.

It didn't work. By the time he and Robbie were up in the old office, making room for their sleeping bags, he was on the verge of a panic atack. Only the small tasks of unpacking and moving things around kept him from hyperventilating.

The thing was, he had not had a crush on anyone since getting married. Yes, he noticed pretty or charming women in passing, but it was just that, a fleeting observation that meant nothing. And when he had had crushes, back in the day, he'd always handled them in a passive, accepting way. When he became aware of an interest in someone, he must've done something, sent some signals, but it was not deliberate or conscious. And he usually had his answer within a short time. Either the girl was interested too, and made her move. Or, she didn't.

Honestly, mostly they made a move.

This is what had him in a panic. He had no experience controlling the signals, as clear or subtle as they might be, and so he assumed here, on the other side of believing that marriage and a child made him somehow immune, that he would be telegraphing his interest loud and clear. And nothing good could come of that.

So, he avoided her.

That worked pretty well, for a few days. He was busy, she was busy. On Tuesday, walking Robbie to school, he saw her heading out of Weston's, her day-off "lunch" in hand. She waved, they waved, but when Robbie made to go over and talk, Luke hustled him along with a muttered, "Let's not be late." On Thursday, she and Rory and Lane stopped by the store after Brownies. Luke had made sure he was in the middle of breaking down the shelves, sweaty and dirty, as 4 o'clock approached, just in case, so that he had an excuse to just say hi.

So avoidance was working pretty well.

Maybe he had caught a fleeting look of confusion, or hurt, in her eyes when he basically only grunted as they left. That look made him feel bad, but soon enough the three of them were on their way, and so he pushed the guilt away.

The avoidance strategy kept working, right up until she called him, on Sunday night ("Hi, Luke. It's Lorelai.") and a thrill shot through him when he heard her voice.

He grinned like an idiot, and warmth radiated into his voice before he could check it. "Hey, Lorelai." He felt like he was 15 again.

"Hey," she said brightly. "I was calling to ask a favor. To arrange a childcare swap, if you'd be willing."

"Sure, what's up?"

Apparently, the avoidance strategy had better things to do and had gone far, far away.

"Well, on Tuesday, Mia wants to take Sookie and me into New York on a buying trip for the Inn. Weekend brunch has been getting rave reviews from our customers ever since Sookie took it over, and now Mia wants to advertise it more, brand it with its own dishes, linens, etc."

"Mm hm." Luke had no idea what branding meant, but he was content enough to just listen to her talk.

"It's going to be hard to get back from the city in time to get Rory from school, and Lane has Bible class two towns away on Tuesdays, so I can't ask Mrs. Kim. So I thought maybe Rory could hang out with you and Robbie after school for a few hours, if you'll be in the store."

"I think so, let me just check and make sure I didn't set anything up on that day…"

"Sure, take your time."

Luke grabbed his pocket calendar. He saw he had an appointment out at the lumber yard with Tom for Tuesday during school hours, but nothing after that. "Yeah, that's no problem."

"Oh, good, thank you. That's a relief, and of course I'm happy to pick Robbie up on Wednesday or Friday if you'd like, take him out to the Inn, so you can have a longer stretch to get stuff done."

Luke thought briefly about the long-gone avoidance strategy, and then of his lists and how great it would be to have a few extra hours. "Sure, that would be good. That would be a big help, actually. Friday's good."

"Great, that's perfect. I'll see you at the store Tuesday then, before dinnertime for sure."

"Do we pick her up right at three?"

"Quarter after three, just wait at the front entrance."

"Sounds good." Luke paused, not wanting to end the phone call, but knowing he should.

"So good, that's good," Lorelai paused too. "We miss having you here at the Inn. How's it going over there?"

"It's going well. Busy. Slowly making a dent in what needs to be done." Luke paused again. "We miss being there too." He blanched at the wistfulness in his own tone. He spoke more brusquely, "But here is fine. You'll see, next time you're here."

"On Tuesday..." Lorelai reminded him. He could picture her teasing smile through the phone.

"Right, right. Tuesday. Right." This was ridiculous. He hadn't had this awkward a conversation since he _was_ 15. He was belatedly realizing just how good an idea avoidance had been, and wishing it could come back.

"Okay, well, I'll let you go. Bye Luke. And thanks."

"You're welcome. And Lorelai?"

"Yes?"

"Thank _you_." _Hang up. Hang up._ "Bye, Lorelai," he said softly.

"Bye, Luke."

Finally. God, what a dope. Stop being a dope!

Robbie appeared, crawling on his knees from around a grouping of boxes. He was rolling a toy truck along a path he had created. "Why did Lorelai call us?"

"Huh?" Luke snapped out of his self-berating inner rant. "Um, she wanted to see if Rory could come and play here after school on Tuesday. And then on Friday, they'll pick you up from school and you'll go play with Rory at the Inn."

"Goody. I love playing with Rory."

"Good, good," Luke said distractedly, going back to his torture.

* * *

On Tuesday, Luke and Robbie stood outside the front entrance of Stars Hollow Elementary, waiting for Rory. Robbie, who had talked nonstop about his day at school since Luke had picked him up ten minutes ago, was now talking nonstop about all the things he wanted to show Rory back at the store. Luke chuckled; Robbie was acting as if he hadn't seen her for months, not just a week. He continued to scan the groups of kids as they came out of the school, looking for Rory. His eyes lit up when he saw her; he suddenly realized it felt longer than a week to him too.

She was looking for them too, and ran over when he waved. "Luke, hi! Hi Robbie!"

"Hi Mr. Danes," said Lane, coming up behind Rory. Luke was just about to correct her when he saw her eyes move to over his shoulder. "Hi Mama. Mama, this is Mr. Danes, a friend of Lorelai's and Rory's."

Luke turned to meet Lane's Mom, who was glowering at him.

He held out his hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Kim."

She bowed her head slightly instead of taking his hand. "Nice to meet you. How do you know the Gilmores?"

"Oh, um, Mia Halloway is an old friend of my family's, I met Lorelai and Rory when my son and I were staying at the Inn."

"You are married?"

"Yes."

"Where is your wife?"

"She's travelling for work."

"And you are opening a restaurant, in the old hardware store?"

"Yes. My Dad owned the hardware store."

"You changed your name? Why did you change your name?"

"Huh?"

"Williams. Williams Hardware. And you say your name is Danes."

"It is. So was his. Danes. William Danes."

"Oh, so the sign is a mistake."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"It is a mistake, there should be an apostrophe, then the "s". You will serve healthy food in your restaurant? Vegetables? Whole grains? Tofu?"

"Um, sure." Luke was getting a little uncomfortable with this grilling. He looked down at Rory. "Should we go?"

"Rory, where is your mother?"

"She's in New York, with Mia, on business."

"She knows you are going with this man?"

"Of course, Mrs. Kim."

"Ok, just checking. Nice to meet you Mr. Danes."

"Likewise," Luke answered faintly.

Mrs. Kim held out her hand to Lane, and with one last wistful glance back at her friend, Lane followed her Mom.

"Okay then. Wow." Luke shook his head. "Let's head to the store. Rory, how was your day?"

"It was good. We had a spelling bee and I came in second."

"Excellent."

"Rory," Robbie tugged on her sleeve. "Wanna play trucks when we get back?"

"Sure!"

"Do you need to do homework first?" asked Luke.

"Nah-as long as I do it sometime before Mom comes back, it'll be okay."

"Okay," Luke said as they entered the store, "who needs an after school snack?"

"I do!" Robbie shouted.

"Me too," Rory said more quietly.

Luke and Robbie headed for the stairs, but Rory lingered, slowly turning around in the store space. "It looks different," she said.

"Oh that's right, you haven't been here in a while. I took down all the shelves." Luke gestured at the gray metal shelves, disassembled and neatly stacked along the edges of the store.

"Mom says it's going to be a diner?"

"That's the plan. Come upstairs, it looks different too."

Rory and Luke joined Robbie, who had already gone up and was struggling out of his backpack, which was a little too big for him. Luke helped him get it off, and Robbie hung it on a small hook just inside the door.

"Apples okay?"

"With peanut butter and raisins?" Robbie asked.

"Sure," Luke agreed.

"And chocolate milk?" Robbie pressed his luck.

"Okay, in Rory's honor."

Luke led them over to the area that would be the kitchen. Right now the only proper furniture was a round kitchen table with four chairs. Luke had created a makeshift counter by laying a wide, solid board over two filing cabinets. To the right of this was a small refrigerator, about 3 feet high, and across the counter, an array of small electric appliances that allowed him to cook most of their meals. He had found a small toaster oven and an electric frying pan in boxes from the old house. The refrigerator and a two burner electric range top he had picked up at Marcy Klein's perpetual garage sale, where he had also purchased the table and chairs.

With Rory and Robbie settled at the table, Luke put a paper plate of sliced apples down, followed by a plate with peanut butter and raisins, with a plastic knife for each of them. "Have at it," he said, while he got out the milk and chocolate syrup from the mini fridge. They attacked their snack with gusto, Robbie showing Rory how he liked to spread a glob of peanut butter on the apple, then press raisins into it.

They followed their snack with a walk to the pond, and with an impromptu game of soccer in the town square when Robbie found an abandoned kickball there. Luke played goalie, between two sticks that they stuck in the ground, and Rory and Robbie took turns shooting goals. Rory was hesitant at first, but soon lost her inhibitions, kicking with abandon and laughing and cheering when either of them got one past Luke.

Sweaty and tired, they headed back in and upstairs. Luke glanced at the clock. "Wow, 4:30 already. Your mom will probably be back by six."

Rory decided to do her homework, while Robbie set up some more roads for them to play trucks on.

Luke headed downstairs, hoping to finish clearing out what would be the main storeroom, so that he could get it ready for a quick coat of paint, then reassemble the shelves against the walls. He carried yet a few more boxes of old files up the stairs, leaving them in the upstairs hallway and poking his head in to check on the kids. He moved a few remaining boxes, the ones holding some of the old hardware stuff to decorate the diner with, out into the hall, and began wiping down the dusty walls.

He had just come out into the main store area, looking for where he had left the broom, when he saw a US mail truck pull up. "Great," he muttered. "More boxes." He called up the stairs, "Robbie, Rory, delivery!" He knew his son would want to see the truck. They clambered down the stairs, arriving just as Luke opened the door for the delivery man carrying two boxes.

"Boxes from Brazil," Luke explained to the kids as he directed the man to place them in the middle of the empty space.

"Two more," said the guy.

"Okay."

Robbie wanted to see the truck close-up, so they went out to look while the man carried in the final boxes.

"Are these the souvenirs?" Rory asked eagerly.

"They are. Oh, right, I forgot I told you about that. Yes, souvenirs as well as more of our clothes and some other odds and ends we didn't want to leave behind."

"Can we do the interview now?"

"Right now?" Luke asked. Rory nodded eagerly.

"Oh, no, I don't think so," he said. Rory's face fell.

Luke looked at his watch. Almost 5. "Your mom's going to be here soon, and I need to make some space upstairs for all of this before we can start opening them."

"Oh, okay," she said quietly.

"How about this weekend?"

"Sure." Rory brightened a little

"We'll talk to your mom when she gets here and set a definite time."

Now Rory was back to beaming. "Okay! Thanks Luke."

Robbie tugged at her arm. "Come on Rory, let's finish the bridge." They ran back upstairs, and Luke headed back to start sweeping out the storeroom.

Not too long after, Luke heard voices in the front area. He came out to greet Mia, Sookie and Lorelai. "How was the big city?" he asked.

"Oh it was wonderful!" Mia exclaimed. "We had the best time, didn't we girls?"

Lorelai and Sookie chimed in enthusiastically, and Mia and Sookie began talking over each other, recounting the various rude sales people they had met.

Lorelai stepped over to Luke, and touching his arm, said quietly, "Thank you so much. It's been one of the most fun days I've had in a long time." She looked up at Luke, eyes glowing. His arm burned where she had touched him, and he felt his heart not just speed up but race at the beautiful smile she was giving him.

He cleared his throat and said gruffly, "It was no problem. I'm glad you had such a good time."

"Are the kids upstairs?"

"Hm, yeah, upstairs."

"I'll just yell for Rory…"

Luke tore his eyes away from her and turned his attention to Sookie, who was admiring the space. "This looks great, Luke, there's more room here than I would have thought."

"Yeah, I think it should work. I'm thinking six to eight tables, plus a longer counter with six or maybe eight more seats."

Sookie nodded her head. "Counter over there?" She pointed to the back wall.

"Yes, with a pass-through window from the kitchen."

"Uh-huh, I can see that working."

"And where will the all-important coffee station go?" Lorelai asked, coming back from the stairs.

Luke smiled. "Somewhere back behind the counter. Where you'll be forbidden to go."

Lorelai pouted. "You're no fun."

Robbie came tearing down the steps, Rory following behind.

"Lorelai!" he cried, and flung his arms around her legs.

"Oh, my. Hi Robbie!" She gave his curly head an affectionate squeeze. He turned to Mia and gave her a hug as well. She was more prepared than Lorelai and bent down for it. Robbie turned towards Sookie a little more shyly. "Hi Sookie."

Sookie reached out and chucked him under the chin. "Hiya pumpkin."

Robbie took Sookie's hand and leaned against her side. All three women stared at him, and released a collective whispered "Aww."

Rory cleared her throat. "Hi everyone."

Lorelai laughed. "My baby!" she cried, and threw her arms around Rory.

Rory laughed too and rolled her eyes. "Hi Mom."

"Did you have fun?"

"Yup. My homework is all done. Plus we took a walk and played soccer."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows at that and glanced at Luke, who smiled and nodded. "Ready to head home?" she asked Rory.

"Yup."

"Okay. Well. Bye Robbie, bye Luke. Thank you so much, again."

"You're welcome, again."

"We'll see you on Friday, we'll pick up Robbie from school. 3:00?"

Luke nodded.

"Do you want to come get him at the Inn, or for us to drop him off here?"

Rory jumped in, "Oh, hey, Mom. The souvenirs got here." She pointed at the boxes. "Luke said we could do the interview this weekend. Could we do it Friday night?"

"Hm, I don't know, does that work for you, Luke?" Lorelai asked, turning to him.

"Sure. Want to eat dinner here and we'll do the interview after?"

"Okay, we'll bring pizza, how about that?"

"I can cook, I've got a few things set up."

"Nope." Lorelai said decisively. "One, you're doing us a favor, letting Rory interview you. Two, the whole point of us taking Robbie Friday afternoon is for you to have a big block of time to get things done, not spend time cooking."

"Okay, pizza it is. I have paper plates and everything upstairs."

"Cool. It's a date." Lorelai turned and put her arm around Rory. "All set, sweetie?"

Luke stood frozen. He knew she didn't mean the word "date" literally, but the happiness that shot through him when she said it jolted him back to the reality of what he had just done: arranged to spend hours in her company.

Mia stepped over to him and touched his arm. "Luke? You okay?"

"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about all I have to do."

Mia nodded and patted his upper arm. "It's a lot, I know. But you've made good progress." She glanced around. "I'm sad to see your dad's store finally gone, but excited to see your restaurant come to life." She smiled.

"Thanks, Mia." Luke stooped and kissed her cheek. A few more minutes of goodbyes took place, and finally Luke and Robbie were left alone in the empty would-be diner, with the four boxes from Brazil. Luke felt a deep sense of confusion that he couldn't seem to shake off. He saw Robbie heading for the stairs. "Where you goin' bud?" he asked.

"Upstairs. Cars."

"Okay, I'll be up in a minute to cook dinner."

"Okay."

Alone, Luke tried to bring some order to his disordered brain. He thought back over the past two weeks. His marriage: in serious trouble; big talk pending. His lists: still there, and growing. Lorelai: not a random sex dream, an actual attraction. Avoidance imperative but apparently not an option. Friday night: an interview about his world travels, conducted by a little girl who'd already wiggled her way into his heart. Not to mention that he was harboring an idiocy-inducing crush on the mother of that same girl.

Luke sighed, no less confused, and headed upstairs.


	13. Puzzling It Out

**Puzzling it Out**

**_Friday, May 1, 1992_**

Luke pulled his truck to a stop in front of the store and glanced at his watch. 5:40. Later than he had hoped to be home. The steady downpour plus Friday traffic had made the trip back from Hartford slow going. He'd taken advantage of Robbie being with Lorelai and Rory for the afternoon by doing a walk-through of the kitchen layout and equipment at Sniffy's Tavern, then heading to Hartford with Buddy to make some final decisions on what to order. He had been excited but nervous to write his first big checks, the deposits on the equipment.

He was just plain nervous about the upcoming evening. He leaned his head back against the driver's seat and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. A few days of no contact with Lorelai had not made much difference in the confusion department.

Sitting here worrying about it wasn't helping much either. Luke got out of the truck and ran through the rain to the front door. He paused briefly to shake out his old green coat and drip briefly on the piece of industrial carpet he had placed by the front door, then headed upstairs. He moved around the apartment, turning on lights against the early evening gloom, and paused to look out at the still pouring rain. It occurred to him he should check if they needed a ride.

"Independence Inn, Mia speaking."

"Mia, hi, it's Luke."

"Luke, hi. Your son is having a blast- we played hide and seek in the basement, it was the perfect rainy day activity."

"That sounds great. Speaking of the rain, is Lorelai still there? I thought I'd see if they need a ride over here."

"I'm going to drop them off on my way home. Lorelai is just phoning in the pizza order now. She'll run in for that and I'll have the three of them plus the food to you by six or a little after."

"That sounds great, thanks, Mia."

"No problem, Luke. Have fun tonight, being grilled by our junior reporter."

Luke chuckled. "I will." He hung up and headed into the bathroom to clean up a little. The collar of his blue oxford shirt was damp, so he shucked it off along with the t-shirt underneath, and grabbed a washcloth for an impromptu sponge bath. He emerged from the bathroom, still toweling down his face and hair, and headed over to the stack of milk crates serving as their dresser. He pulled out a soft gray T-shirt, and a plaid flannel shirt he had picked up at the small department store in town. He'd gone there to pick up some new clothes for Robbie, who was growing like a weed, and some new jeans for himself, and found the shirts on season-end sale. He hadn't thought he'd be wearing a flannel shirt anytime soon, but on this chilly, rainy day, it seemed like the right choice. Once dressed, he made a final stop in front of the bathroom mirror to run a comb through his hair, made a mental note to get a haircut soon, and contemplated shaving. Time was running out, so he decided to stay a little scruffy.

Next he crossed over to the makeshift kitchen and began pulling out a few things to make a salad to go with the pizza. He piled the various items in a large colander to take downstairs and rinse in the utility sink in one of the back rooms, then took a moment to locate a bowl for later when it was done. He headed downstairs to do the salad rinsing and then wait to let everyone in out of the rain as soon as they got here.

A few minutes after six Mia's beige Volvo sedan pulled up, and Lorelai immediately popped out of the front seat. She let Robbie out of the back seat first and gave him a gentle push toward the door, then grabbed two pizza boxes from the center of the seat so Rory could scoot across and out. A quick wave and thank you to Mia and they were all inside the diner.

"Whoo, it's wet out there."

"It's pouring!"

"Daddy we played hide and seek in the basement and I was scared. Rory says there's no such thing as ghosts but Lorelai says maybe there are."

Everyone spoke at once so rather than add further to the noise, Luke gestured them all upstairs. He detoured to the utility room to grab the vegetables, then headed up. "There are towels in the bathroom if anyone needs them," he said as he entered the apartment. "Robbie go ahead and wash your hands, get ready for dinner."

"Rory," Lorelai said, "you too."

"Duh, mom."

Lorelai looked at Luke and laughed. "She's only seven! Think how much worse I have to look forward to."

Luke smiled and started to reply when he saw a stray raindrop sliding down from Lorelai's hairline. He started to reach out to catch it on his finger. Thinking better of that, he turned and grabbed a clean dish towel and handed it to her, pointing at her forehead.

"Oh, thanks," Lorelai said, and used it to pat her hair dry. She was looking at Luke quizzically, and he turned abruptly to getting the salad ready.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Making a salad."

"I thought I told you not to cook."

"Throwing together a salad isn't cooking," Luke stated.

"It is when you have no kitchen." Lorelai watched as Luke poured pale green olive oil and two different vinegars into a small jar. He shook herbs from a series of bottles, rubbing each between his fingers for a moment to release the flavor as he dropped them into the mixture. A dash of salt and a few grindings of pepper followed, then he put the lid on tight and shook it up.

"Also, making your own dressing when you don't have a kitchen counts as cooking."

Luke just smiled as he kept shaking the dressing.

"You're just like Sookie," Lorelai continued, "trying to ruin a perfectly good pizza night with vegetables."

"It's all about the balance," Luke said.

"_Just _like Sookie," Lorelai muttered.

"I like salad," Rory declared as she and Robbie approached the table.

"Me too." Robbie echoed. Luke smiled, and Lorelai pouted.

"Why don't you all get the pizza set up while I finish this." Luke moved around behind the makeshift counter so that he could see all of them but was out of the way as he chopped, using a small cutting board and his good chef's knife. "Robbie, one plate, one napkin, and one fork for everybody. Rory, paper cups are on top of the fridge, milk and juice are inside."

"Can I have juice instead of milk?" Robbie asked.

"Rory what would you like?" Luke asked.

"Juice, please. Milk tastes funny to me with pizza."

" Okay, juice it is. Can you handle pouring two cups?"

"Yup."

Luke turned to Lorelai, who had opened the pizza and was putting slices on each paper plate as Robbie set them down. "For grown-ups, we have beer or wine."

"Beer, please," Lorelai answered. She looked around, trying to figure out where to place the now depleted pizza box. Luke stepped around and grabbed the second box from the middle of the table, and balanced it on top of the toaster oven. He nodded to Lorelai to place hers on top.

"You got a lot of pizza," Luke commented.

"Well, one didn't seem enough, since we didn't know how much you eat. You're a boy in your 20s, and Sookie tells us boys in their 20s eat only slightly less than teenage boys."

"Well this _man_ in his 20s only eats one or two slices, usually."

"Oh, you're a lightweight. Well, Rory eats two sometimes three, and I eat three sometimes four..."

Rory snorted. "More like four, sometimes six."

"… so one would not have been enough anyway." Lorelai concluded, sending a playful glare Rory's way.

"Wow," Luke said. He looked at Lorelai, noting her slim figure in the close-fitting jeans and green sweater that she wore. "Where on earth do you put it?"

Lorelai smiled a bit shyly, and he suddenly realized the inappropriateness of both the look and the comment, and quickly turned back to the salad. The kids and then Lorelai sat down. Robbie cheerfully took a first bite of his slice. Luke placed the dressed and tossed salad in the middle of the table, opened two bottles of beer for him and Lorelai, and finally sat down himself. He slipped an extra paper plate under first Rory's and then Robbie's plate, and served them both salad. Settled, he held up his bottle of beer to Lorelai, clinked hers when she raised it, and said, "Welcome to our truly humble abode."

"Thank you." They drank. Quiet reigned for a few minutes, as they all enjoyed the pizza.

Lorelai looked around the dining/kitchen area. "Your humble abode is looking pretty good. How goes the camping out?"

"It's been okay. I found air mattresses at a camping supply store, to put under our sleeping bags, so sleeping is pretty comfortable. And I put together a decent little cooking set-up, as you can see, so we're not wasting money eating out all the time. The biggest hassle is the dishes. The bathroom sink is really small, so I've been bringing things down to the utility sink downstairs. It'd be easier if we had a bathtub to do them in."

Rory giggled at that idea.

"It's true, we have no bathtub!" Robbie piped up. "We go to the high school every night, to take a shower."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows at that. "You do, do you? A little breaking and entering?"

Luke looked slightly embarrassed. "No, I know the night custodian over there. Cory Bishop. He was a few years ahead of me in school. We were walking by one night and saw him emptying the garbage. We got to talking, and he said he'd let us into the boys' locker room at night, if we wanted."

"Cool deal."

"I was scared at first," Robbie stated.

"Yeah, showers are weird at first, if you've only ever taken a bath. Rory used to be scared, right?" Lorelai asked her.

Rory had a mouth full of pizza, so she just nodded.

"Now I like it," Robbie said. "It's echoey. I like shouting. And Daddy showed me how to keep the shampoo out of my eyes."

"Very important," Lorelai agreed.

"Daddy's very hairy," Robbie continued, swinging his legs and taking another big bite of pizza. "And his penis is much bigger than mine."

Rory giggled, Lorelai laughed out loud, and Luke closed his eyes in embarrassment.

Robbie looked around at them all, confused. "It's true. It's very big."

"Robbie…" Luke said.

"What?"

"Remember, we don't talk about private parts, unless it's just you and me, or us and Mommy."

"Oh, okay."

Luke glanced over at Lorelai, who was still grinning.

"Parents of small children have no secrets," she said. "You know that, right?"

"I do now," he said dryly. "I may have been benefitting from the language differences thus far."

Lorelai smiled, and started on her next slice of pizza.

"Mom, try the salad, it's really good," Rory said after a bit.

"Really?" Lorelai looked skeptical.

Now that there was room on his plate, Luke re-tossed the salad and served himself some, then went ahead and put some on Lorelai's plate as well.

"Hey, I was still deciding," she protested.

"Try it," Luke said simply.

She picked up her fork and slowly, slowly lifted a bite to her mouth.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Such drama."

"Come on, Mom."

Robbie was watching with interest, not knowing what the big deal was, but feeling the suspense.

Lorelai's eyes widened. "Oh my God, that's delicious!"

"Told you," Rory said.

Luke ducked his head and smiled.

Lorelai took several more bites. "I'm not kidding, this is amazing. What did you do? What's in here?"

"Nothing special. I had leftover green beans from last night, so I thought I might make a French style green bean salad. They do this great thing with just green beans, julienned carrots, and sliced almonds, with a really light, sweet vinaigrette. But I also had some iceberg and celery on hand so I chopped that up fine and added that for more crunch. And I made the vinaigrette more Italian than French, since those were the herbs I had on hand."

"Wow, you _are_ just like Sookie, that's the longest speech I've heard you make." Lorelai smiled teasingly. "My God, if you make salad this good, your diner is going to have the best food ever."

Luke smiled, pleased at her praise. "I hope so." He glanced over at Rory. "Almost done?" he asked her.

She nodded.

"We'll get started on the interview right after dinner, okay?"

"Okay!" she agreed excitedly. "I wrote out a bunch of questions."

"Good," Luke smiled.

* * *

They started out looking at the souvenirs all together, with Luke and Robbie telling the stories that went with each object. Then Rory and Luke settled in on opposite ends of the couch, leaving the table to Robbie and Lorelai, who were working on a puzzle Lorelai had brought with her to keep Robbie occupied during the interview.

Rory first asked him for an outline of all the places they'd lived and traveled to. He went over the same trajectory that he had recently told Mia, minus all of the personal, emotional, relationship side of things. San Francisco, Chicago, France, Algeria, Italy, Kenya, Italy again, Brazil. Lorelai was directly in Luke's line of sight, and he could see that she was listening to his answers as well as interacting with Robbie. Upon hearing the whole list of where they had been, she caught his eye and mouthed, "Wow!"

He smiled. It was pretty amazing, when you thought about it.

They spent some time going through each country, Rory asking about where exactly they lived, the language, what the people were like that they met, what famous things were in each place.

She looked up from her notebook, where she had been making a list about each country. "What made you start on your journey in the first place?"

Luke thought for a moment, figuring out how to phrase it. He felt very aware of his dual audience. Plus it was hard to tell how much Robbie might be paying attention. "Well, a lot of things happened at once. My dad was very sick, from cancer, and he died. And within a week of that Rachel, who was just my girlfriend then, left for her first big job after college, as a photographer with the _San Francisco Chronicle_. We hadn't decided yet whether I would go with her, so she went ahead and I stayed here to take care of the house and my dad's store. And to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. A few weeks later Rachel called to tell me amazing news, that we were going to have a baby, and all of a sudden I couldn't wait to be with her. So I rushed through all I had to do here, and moved to San Francisco about a month later-January 1987. Robbie was born in San Francisco."

"Had you ever been on an airplane before?" Rory asked curiously.

"Nope."

She looked back down at her list of questions. "What is it like when you first get to a new country?"

"It's a little exciting, and a little nerve-racking," Luke answered. "When you get off the plane, or train, you're all of a sudden surrounded by people speaking a new language, and signs in a different language. You're trying to get from there to your hotel or house, and at first it seems impossibly confusing. But everyone there is doing the same thing. So you follow people, and begin to figure out the words from the pictures on the signs. And ask questions. And then you put yourselves in the hands of a taxi driver, who are the same the world over."

"What are they like?"

"Impatient know-it-alls who are helpful, and extra helpful if you give them a tip up front."

That got a smile from Lorelai.

"Did you speak French before you got to France?"

"No, not at all. I took Spanish in high school. I had a pretty good ear for it plus the chance to practice it with guys I worked with at the restaurant and construction jobs I had. French was hard though, the pronunciation is so different. But one thing is that I'm a pretty quiet guy, even in English. I tend to listen more than I talk."

Luke again glanced at Lorelai. She wasn't looking at him, but was nodding as if she knew that about him.

"How does being quiet help?" Rory asked.

"Well, if you listen, and watch, you start to pick up the words and phrases, and you get used to how they're pronounced, so then you have a better chance of getting it right when you do start speaking."

Rory nodded and wrote something in her notebook.

"The other key to learning a language is to learn the phrase for 'how do you say...?' Then you just point a lot."

Rory was still writing notes.

"Italian was the easiest language for me, it was a lot like Spanish. Plus we stayed there the longest, and the people we lived with were like family, so it was easy to ask questions when I was floundering. Portuguese was supposed to be easy, since it's similar to Spanish in some ways, but I found it confusing."

"Which country speaks Portuguese?"

"Brazil."

Rory turned a page in her notebook and started a new topic. "Did you have a job in any of the countries you visited?"

"No, not officially. My main job was taking care of Robbie. When you live in a foreign country, you're not allowed to work there unless you have special permission-a work visa. The magazines that Rachel worked for arranged for her work permits, but I wasn't officially allowed to work. I did arrange some apprenticeships, to learn more about food and cooking."

"Apprentice? Like in olden times?"

"Yes. I'd work for a baker or butcher or restaurant owner for free, to learn how to do what they did."

"Did you ever get homesick?"

"I did. I missed Stars Hollow, and Mia, and my sister and nephew, and I missed things that are just American, like baseball. And I missed my truck." Luke paused. "I missed being in one place all the time. It was fun, in a way, to do all that traveling and moving, but tiring."

"What did you like best about living in other countries?"

"In every country we lived in, we met some really great people, who became really good friends. In the places we lived, people seemed to love to stay after dinner for a long time, talking and laughing and telling stories. I enjoyed that. Also, once Robbie got a little older, we did a lot of exploring, which was fun. Plus, I loved trying all the new foods, seeing how different it all was."

"Different how?" Rory asked.

"In most of the countries we lived in, fresh food is the most important thing. Instead of going to a big grocery store once a week and buying frozen things or big packages of meat and everything all in one place, you go out every day to the market and buy what looks the best, the freshest, and that's what you make for dinner. There's a different small store for each food – a butcher for meat, a green grocer for vegetables. Or in some places, open air markets where it's not even stores, just stalls where farmers bring their food to sell." Luke paused while Rory wrote some more.

Lorelai called over, "Sweetie, are you almost done? Luke might be getting tired of answering questions."

"Almost. Can I look back over my notes and make sure I got everything?"

"Sure," Luke agreed. While Rory bent over her notebook, re-reading plus adding a few words here and there, Luke wandered over and watched Lorelai and Robbie. The puzzle was challenging for Robbie: 100 pieces, much bigger than his usual ones. He was concentrating intently, methodically trying piece after piece in a particular spot, the way he always did. Luke watched how Lorelai, instead of correcting his method, would slip likely candidates in front of him, or fit in a neighboring piece that made it easier to see what was needed.

Luke thought back to first meeting Lorelai and how she had immediately helped him with Robbie. Sure he noticed her looks, and her bubbly personality, but what had struck him first was her easy way with his son. She got him, she liked him, and she obviously loved kids, and respected them. He could tell by how she was with Rory, and Lane, and Robbie.

Two things struck him about this at once: how easy it would be for Robbie to come to love her, and that someone like Lorelai was what he himself was missing. He felt a rush of longing for the daily partner in parenting he had been wishing for all these years. A deep sense of dread quickly followed, as he realized that he had gotten himself, and Robbie, into a real situation here. Real feelings, a real temptation, a real danger.

He became aware of Lorelai looking at him questioningly, and he realized his face was frozen into what was at best a frown and at worst a look of panic. Their eyes caught for a moment, and hers went from questioning to worried to frowning herself, as he remained frozen.

He shook his head all of a sudden, and quickly excused himself to the bathroom. As he washed his hands he looked at his image in the mirror. He looked grim, intense, afraid. He was afraid, and he didn't really know what to do about it. He stepped out into the main room again.

Rory looked up from her notebook. "I'm all done Luke, except can you just look at these names I underlined and make sure I spelled them right?"

"Sure, Rory." He sat down next to her on the couch and followed her finger as she pointed to the underlined words. There weren't very many, and she had gotten all but two correct, so they were soon done.

They walked over to the table where Lorelai and Robbie were putting in the last few puzzle pieces. Lorelai casually pushed a last piece toward Robbie as she quickly placed the next to last piece in. "You've got the final one, Robbie, go for it." Luke watched his son stick his tongue out in concentration as he turned the piece first one way then another until finally it fit in.

"You did it! High five," exclaimed Lorelai. Robbie slapped her hand up high and beamed.

"Good job, buddy," Luke said and squeezed Robbie's shoulder.

"I used to love this puzzle," Rory said, running her finger over the photos of multicolored butterflies.

"Thanks for bringing it over, you two," Luke said.

"Well, thank you for the interview," Lorelai answered.

"Yeah thanks Luke," Rory said. "I think it's going to turn out great."

"My pleasure."

Lorelai, Robbie and Rory started trying to name all the different kinds of butterflies, and Luke walked over to the window to check on the weather. He turned and looked back at the three of them, heads bent together, pointing and talking excitedly. It made a cozy scene. The rain outside, the lamplight inside, the four of them all together. Homey.

Luke suddenly cleared his throat and said too loudly. "I'll give you a ride home, it's still pouring out there."

Lorelai looked over at him. "Oh, okay," she said, sounding a little surprised. "Thanks." She looked around for a clock. "I guess it's getting late?"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean it had to be right now. Did you want some tea? Some dessert?"

"Oh no, that's fine, we can get going."

"Daddy can we have cocoa?" Robbie asked. Rory's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Um, sure, that's fine."

"You don't have to, Luke," Lorelai assured him.

"No, no, it's fine. Perfect for a chilly night." He busied himself with pouring milk and chocolate into a saucepan, and locating mugs.

Lorelai moved to start breaking down the puzzle, but Robbie protested. "Can we keep it on the table until breakfast, Daddy?" he asked.

Luke, mesmerized by his stirring and his inner turmoil, took a minute to register the question. He turned abruptly to look at Robbie and then at the table. "Sure," he said, conscious of his monosyllabic answers, and of another concerned look from Lorelai.

Just as abruptly he turned back to the sauce pan, staring at it intently until it was just beginning to foam. He turned off the heat and poured the sweet hot mixture into the four cups, adding a little extra cold milk to Robbie's and Rory's to cool it down some. Lorelai stood blowing on hers, having turned down the diluting milk. She looked at Luke over the rim of her cup. He glanced at her and then down at the kids. He felt increasingly nervous and uncomfortable.

"Luke, could I…" Lorelai said and then trailed off. She put her mug down and started again more firmly. "Could we go downstairs and talk for a few minutes? There was something I wanted to ask you in private."

Luke's heart started racing. Finding no way to politely say no to her direct request, he swallowed and nodded.

Putting his cocoa down as well, Luke followed Lorelai downstairs and watched as she poked her head into the smaller back rooms. She chose one with boxes and perched on one stack, gesturing for Luke to sit down too. He leaned awkwardly against his stack of boxes, across from her. She sat for a minute, twisting her hands and staring at them.

When Luke couldn't bear the silence any longer, he cleared his throat and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Lorelai's eyes flew to his face and she let out a relieved laugh. "That's what I was going to ask you."

"Why?" Luke asked warily.

Lorelai shrugged. "You've been acting different towards me, ever since you left the Inn. Sort of awkward, where before it felt comfortable. I mean, I know we just recently met, and we haven't seen each other much the past two weeks, but that first week I just felt so comfortable with you, and like we had bonded over the whole parenting thing. But since then you've been…weird. Kind of running hot and cold, you know? And I wanted to make sure it's not something I did, or said." She stared at her hands again, then up at Luke. She looked nervous, like there was more she wanted to say, like she was holding back for some reason.

He wondered if she had figured out that he was attracted to her, and was trying to let him know that she knew. He wondered how to answer her truthfully but without confessing everything. "Um, I think I have been acting different. I've been feeling…overwhelmed, I guess, ever since we've been here. Too many things going on at once, too much running through my head."

Lorelai nodded, but didn't say anything.

Luke continued. "That first week, at the Inn, I was just so happy to be back. I felt really settled, and sure. I'm still sure this is where I want to be, and what I want to do, it's just my head is spinning. With all the decisions." He stopped and looked at her.

She looked back at him, steadily. "That makes sense, I get that."

"And…" Luke said, startling himself.

"And?"

He wasn't even sure what he was on the brink of saying. There was something going on between them, some unspoken current that had to do with his attraction and her awareness of it, and part of him was tempted to put it out there so it could be dealt with and be over and buried. But part of him didn't want it out and done, hopes dashed. And another part of him recognized that it wasn't right to say anything. It wasn't fair to her, or to Rachel, to put something like that out there. Where it could ruin everything.

"And…I'm really sorry I've been making you uncomfortable. It was unintentional. I've been…preoccupied."

Lorelai was still looking at him intently. Seemingly weighing his words. She nodded her head and said, "It's just that… I don't really have any friends that are parents. I mean, Mia is a parent, of course, and thank God she is and is always here for advice and practical knowledge like when it's whooping cough and when it's just a really bad cold. But, parents my own age. Well, no one I know is my age and the parent of a seven-year-old, but you're closer than most." She paused, still focusing on him carefully. "And you get it. You know what it's like to have your whole world and almost every minute of every day centered on this beautiful, wonderful, scarily dependent little person."

Luke nodded.

"And on a practical level, I just really like being able to trade with you."

"Trade?" Luke asked.

"Trade childcare, trade having each other's kid over. I just…look, Sookie and Mia are the best, and they've helped me out a million times in a million different ways, and I know they love me and I know they love Rory. But I get tired of feeling like I'm always taking and not giving."

"I'm sure they don't feel that way," Luke said.

"You're probably right, but _I_ feel that way. I can't help it." She shrugged. "When you were in Italy, your situation you described there, you weren't just taking, right?"

"Right. I was working for the family, mostly in the restaurant, but sometimes I took care of the other kids too. The women seemed to find it infinitely amusing that I could change a diaper, and get a baby to sleep."

"And you would have felt funny taking that help for free, right?"

"Right." Luke nodded.

"So you see what I mean. I just...can't ever repay them, even if they don't want to be repaid. And it's hard enough for me to take help anyway, let alone help with no way to reciprocate."

"I understand."

"And with the other moms, it just doesn't work. I was hoping it would, once Rory started school, but it hasn't. It's too unequal: they're older, and mostly married, with cars and houses and other kids. Even Mrs. Kim, who's enough of an outlier that we could have a bond, in theory..." Lorelai paused, thinking. "She's just so strict and religious and somehow disapproving of me even though she tolerates the friendship between Lane and Rory, thank god…" Lorelai trailed off again.

Luke was struck by her vulnerability. And her strength. He was getting a glimpse into her struggle, her loneliness even in the midst of the seemingly idyllic life she had created for herself and Rory.

"Anyway, what I'm saying is, with you, even after such a short time, I feel equal. We seem to have a similar parenting philosophy, even though we're kind of different personalities."

Luke chuckled at that.

"I love your kid already, and you seem to really like mine. And they get along. We both have…offbeat homes. Not a lot of money. Struggles. Strength. Just, a lot in common."

"Yeah, we do."

"So, I want things to be okay with us, normal with us."

"That sounds good. I want that too." Luke looked at her, and something unspoken again passed between them.

"Could we have more weeks like this one, where I take Robbie one day and you take Rory another?"

"Yeah, that would be really good, that would help me out a lot."

"Good. Me too." Lorelai let out a big breath of relief, and smiled.

Luke smiled back. "Thank you for telling me all this."

"No problem." She grinned at him. "I'll call you over the weekend, to figure out which days are best next week?"

"Sounds good."

"And Luke…" She sounded hesitant again. "Once, um, Rachel is here, I'm...just let me know if it still works. Maybe then you won't need to swap? Or, she may not like…the arrangement?"

Luke smiled. "She'll be fine. I have a feeling she and Rory will be kindred spirits. And she won't mind Robbie being with you guys. She leaves most of the childcare arrangements to me, even when she's not traveling."

"Good, good." Lorelai seemed hesitant yet again, and that unspoken thing was still in her eyes.

"We probably should…" Luke said, gesturing towards the stairs.

"Yeah, just, one more thing. One other thing I was thinking about, that has nothing to do with being fellow parents."

Luke was suddenly nervous again, afraid she was going to upset the delicate balance they had just achieved.

"I just want to say, I value your friendship just as your friendship. I feel like you get me, even beyond just the parenting thing. Like, what you said about your parents, and how that simple little idea, that your relationship with them can change over time, had such a big impact on me."

"I'm glad."

"I feel like, and I know it's not the same thing, at all, but, that you understand me a little, because you lost your parents. And right now…again, I know it's not the same thing, but I'm so apart from them right now, and that…weighs on me. And I feel like you understand that, even though you're apart from yours for a whole different, much worse reason, and even though you obviously had a really good relationship with them."

"I did. And I get what you're saying." He nodded. "And I'm glad if I can be a friend to you, on things like that."

"Okay, then. Thank you. For listening. For fixing this between us."

"Thank _you._"

Once again they looked at each other. Lorelai stepped toward him and gave him a quick hug, then headed out toward the stairs and the kids.

Luke took a deep breath, and a second to gather himself, then followed her up.

* * *

Driving back home with Robbie after dropping Lorelai and Rory off, Luke thought about his conversation with Lorelai.

Women amazed him. Their ability to articulate feelings, to bring up tough issues, was so unlike him. Part of it was personality, he knew, but he was pretty sure part of it was just being a guy.

Rachel, too. He thought back to their phone call last week. Even though she was being more honest about their problems than she ever had been, and she was obviously upset with him, and with the state of things, she had somehow made it okay. Just by talking.

Like Lorelai had done tonight. He finally felt clearer, less confused. She had made it okay to be friends and fellow parents, to normalize the relationship after all the turmoil he had been feeling. He was still uncertain as to what was under the surface – did she know he was drawn to her? Was she possibly drawn to him as well?

But somehow it was stable again. Just like the problems with Rachel were stable for now. Somehow he was in a holding pattern with both of them, and odd as that was, as potentially complicated as that was, it seemed okay, for now.

Women were amazing.

And maybe, just maybe, he could take a page from their book and be brave enough to initiate the next round of talking, the next round of problem-solving, himself.

Maybe.


	14. Tuesdays and Fridays

**Tuesdays and Fridays**

**_Tuesday, May 5, 1992_**

"Patty Melts!"

"Excuse me?"

Lorelai came out from behind the Inn's main desk as Luke entered the lobby and she repeated, "Patty Melts!"

Luke frowned at her in confusion. "Some sort of secret code?"

"No, silly. Diner menu suggestion. I thought of it earlier and didn't want to forget to tell you."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to forget that," Luke said. "Where are the kids?"

"Oh, somewhere with Mia," Lorelai said carelessly. "What do you think of patty melts on your menu?"

"I think there will be plenty of artery-clogging American favorites on my menu, I'm not sure I need to have a hamburger slid into the middle of a grilled cheese sandwich as well."

"But you'll think about it? They're yummy…"

"Sure, I'll think about it."

Lorelai looked at him skeptically. "Promise? I've got lots more ideas!"

"Promise." Luke smiled at her. "Now where exactly is my beloved son?"

"Oh, right, him. I think they're playing hide and seek again. We could hang out here and wait for them to turn up, or..."

"Or what?"

"We could crash the game and scare the heck out of them?" She raised her eyebrows enticingly.

"Let's do it."

"Okay, give me just one sec..."

True to her word, Lorelai had called over the weekend and they had set up a child swap schedule. Lorelai would pick Robbie and Rory up from school on Tuesdays and keep them until dinner time, and Luke would do the same on Fridays. Luke wondered that she was willing to take an extra kid on her day off, but she had pointed out that they kept each other occupied so well that it gave her time to continue whatever she might be doing.

"Are you sure you understand the concept of a day off?" Luke asked her now, as she returned to her spot behind the desk. She squared up the stack of papers she had been working on and slipped them into a manila folder.

"I do. I just wanted to get these organized for when I'm on front desk shift tomorrow. Then I can go through them in order when it's slow, for the occupancy report I'm doing for Mia. The sorting part always seems to get interrupted, so I wanted to do it ahead."

"Okay."

"You should talk, when's the last time you had a day off?"

"Um...Easter?"

"Two weeks ago. I rest my case." She ducked into Mia's office to leave the folder. "Okay, done. Let's go sneak up on our unsuspecting children. I think they're down in the cellar..."

Lorelai led Luke through the kitchen, where they waved to Sookie, then headed to a set of back stairs.

"You should stay for crew dinner tonight, Sookie's cooking," Lorelai said.

"I'd feel funny, we're not paying guests anymore."

"Oh, well, I'm sure Mia wouldn't mind."

"Maybe we will."

They headed down the stairs, quietly. Lorelai paused and said, "Stop for a sec, see if we can hear them..."

* * *

After several rounds of hide and seek, now with pretend ghosts and extra shrieking, Mia had indeed invited Luke and Robbie to stay for dinner. Robbie jumped up and down in excitement and Luke readily agreed.

"So, progress report?" Mia asked once they were all settled in at the long kitchen table and had filled their plates from the communal dishes.

Luke looked up. "Who, me?"

Lorelai laughed, and Mia smiled. "Yes, you. Who else is building an apartment, a diner, and trying to sell a house, all at the same time?"

Luke nodded. "Things are good. I met with Tom yesterday, out at a house renovation they're finishing up over by Litchfield. We're going to finalize the plans this week, try to file for permits the beginning of next, and as soon as we get approved, start on the upstairs bathroom. I'd like to have a working shower by the time Rachel gets here."

"Mommy wouldn't like the showers at the high school, Daddy says," Robbie commented.

Lorelai and Rory both giggled, and Luke blushed.

Mia looked curious as to what the joke was between them, but just asked mildly, "When does she get here?"

"Soon. She'll be back in Rio by the end of this week, to pack up odds and ends, turn the apartment back over to the landlord, and close our bank accounts. She and Sophia are flying into New York Sunday the 17th. They have book meetings in New York for a few days, and as soon as she's done she'll head up here."

"It will be lovely to see her again," Mia said.

Robbie bounced up and down in his chair. "Mommy's coming, Mommy's coming."

Lorelai grinned down at him, then looked over at Luke. "What book?" she asked him.

Luke explained a little about their legacies of colonialism idea, and Rory asked a bunch of questions, curious as to how a book went from an idea to actually being published. The adults answered her as best they could.

Finally there was a pause. "So, Luke, I wanted to say," Mia interjected. "If living in the construction zone gets to be too much, let me know, you always have a room here."

"Thanks, Mia, I appreciate that. We'll have to see how bad it gets. Once the guys are doing their thing, I'll concentrate for a few days on the house. We may even stay there one weekend – Sarah offered, since they're going out of town the weekend of the 16th."

"Well, let me know."

"I will."

Another lull prevailed. Suddenly Lorelai piped up. "How many people think Luke should have patty melts on his menu?"

She raised her hand, as did Rory, and of course Robbie followed suit.

Luke rolled his eyes, and Mia laughed.

* * *

**_Friday, May 8_**

"Egg creams!" Lorelai yelled as she entered the diner, where Luke was spackling walls.

"It's gonna be a small-town Connecticut diner, not a New York City deli," Luke replied.

"An egg cream is delicious anywhere!"

"Do you even know what an egg cream is?" Luke asked her, curious.

"Um…sort of like egg nog, but good?"

Luke laughed. "It's seltzer, milk, and chocolate syrup. It's like an ice cream soda but without the ice cream."

Lorelai made a face. "What's the point of that?"

Luke shrugged.

"Okay," Lorelai said. "So no egg creams. How were the kids?"

"The kids are good, they're upstairs. They insisted on doing the exact same thing as last time: snack, walk to the pond, soccer in the square."

Lorelai smiled. "Such fans of routine, kids."

"Yup," Luke agreed.

"I'm impressed, by the way, that you keep getting my daughter to play a sport."

"She's good," Luke said. "She just lacks confidence. Once she relaxes and just has fun, she does fine."

"Just don't go signing her up for any soccer leagues behind my back."

"Okay, I won't."

"Oh, speaking of signing up," Lorelai said, "I swung by Town Hall earlier, and picked up registration forms for day camp. I got a set for you in case you wanted to send Robbie."

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Luke held up his messy hands as she tried to hand the packet to him. "Let me just finish these last spots, can you put it on that chair?"

"Sure."

"So tell me about the camp. Has Rory gone before?"

"Yes, since she was five. She loves it. It's 9 to 3. It's about a mile out of town, on the road toward Woodbury. McDermott Park. They built a new recreation complex in the park, a few years back. New game fields, a huge playground, and space for the camp. There's a pool, and a covered pavilion area with picnic tables where they do arts and crafts. No-frills, really, but good counselors, high school kids, with college kids as head counselors. Lots of different activities."

"Do they take four-year-olds?"

"Yes, late 4's, as long as they're entering kindergarten."

"Do you think he's too young?" Luke asked her.

"No, I think he'll do fine. He's loving preschool, right?"

"Yup. Teacher says he's doing great."

"I think he'll like it. You could just sign him up for two weeks, though, see how it goes, then extend it if you want."

"How long does the camp last?"

"Eight weeks. Starts the week after school ends, goes through mid August. Kids come in and out, depending on vacations, and how much camp a family wants. They're very flexible."

"Sounds really good. Not too expensive, I assume?"

"Nope."

"Okay, then, I appreciate knowing about it."

"You're welcome."

Luke finished the last spot, then started to pack up his tools to wash them off in the back room. "You can head up if you want, I just need to clean this up."

"I will in a minute. I want to poke around, see what you've done."

"Sure."

Lorelai followed Luke into the utility room, where he began rinsing the spackle off the tools.

"Anything new in here?" she asked.

"Nope."

"Are you going to paint?"

"I think so. I was thinking I'd paint all the back areas white on the walls, gray on the floors, just so everything looks clean and new."

"Sounds good."

"Yeah, except I hate painting."

"You do? I love painting." Lorelai stated.

"Really? When have you painted?"

"What, you think a rich girl from Hartford never learned to paint?"

"Um, yeah," Luke shrugged.

"Well, I did. The spring I was 14, my parents went away for a week, my Mom was going with my Dad on a business trip. While they were gone, they hired a guy to re-paint the pool house."

"Pool house?"

"Yup. Anyway, I made friends with him, he was one of those older, jolly guys, and I asked him to show me how to paint, and he did. I loved it. My mom threw a fit when she discovered what I'd done."

"How'd she find out?"

"Paint on my jeans. The maid ratted me out."

"Who was supposed to be watching you while they were away?"

"Hmm... I think we had an au paire at that time. A foreign college student, sort of a companion. She had a boyfriend, wasn't around much."

"Nice."

"Yeah, well there's a reason I got pregnant the next year...serious lack of supervision. But I did learn to paint."

"Silver lining."

"So, I'd be glad to help you paint," Lorelai offered.

"Oh, no, that's okay. You already have a job, and a kid, and my kid once a week."

"Well yeah, I can't help you every day... oh hey! Let's have a painting party one Friday! Soookie will come, she's good at the trim and stuff. It'll be fun. Rory's been begging for her first sleepover at Lane's. If I give in and say yes I want to be in town, close by, in case she freaks."

"Well, okay, if you want..."

"Oh, goody. I'll pick up paint wheels, help you choose colors."

"I can't just do gray and white out there as well?" Luke asked.

"No, you may not. Ok, let me see the rest of this joint..."

She wandered out and down the hallway. Luke finished cleaning and drying the tools, sealed the container of spackle tightly, and washed his hands. He grabbed a towel and followed Lorelai.

She was poking her head into the storage room, which was finally free of boxes. "This looks nice and empty."

"Yup, needs a coat of paint and then I'll put up the shelves. This will be the storage room."

Lorelai nodded and headed down the hallway towards more rooms. "Not much different here except it's all empty."

"Yeah, finally. Getting rid of the stuff has been my only real accomplishment, but, it's a big one. Next is knocking down walls, rewiring, and putting in the new plumbing. And we can't do any of that until the plans get approved."

"How soon will that be?"

"We submitted them this morning. Tom was pretty confident they'd go through quickly, within the week. He says he has a good relationship with the board. I'm good with everyone but Taylor."

"Taylor." Lorelai rolled her eyes. "What's back here?" She asked heading down a short hallway.

"That door goes to the alley."

Lorelai stepped out and looked around. "Wow. This is definitely the cleanest alley I've ever seen."

"Well, you know, fresh start and all. I rented a power washer, it went fast."

She looked around. "Oh, hey, look at the cute little baby grill."

Luke chuckled. "That's a hibachi, they were all the rage back in the 70s. Found one, still in its box, tucked back in the far reaches of the store. I'm making burgers on it tonight. Do you and Rory want to stay?"

Lorelai's eyes lit up. "Burgers? We'd love to! You sure you have enough?"

"Maybe, how many burgers do you two eat?" he asked warily.

"Just one each. As long as they're good."

"They'll be good. I've resumed my quest to make the best burger in America, and thus the world. I'm getting close."

"Wow. Will that be your diner theme? 'Luke's: Home of the World's Best Burger'?"

"Theme?"

"Every diner needs a theme."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay, I'll think about a theme."

"Like you're still thinking about patty melts?"

"Yeah, like that. Let's go get the kids, and I'll get started on dinner."

* * *

About an hour later, the four of them sat picnic style on a blanket in the middle of the future diner. They feasted on burgers, niblet corn, and coleslaw.

"This is incredible," Lorelai declared, swallowing a bite of her burger. "I don't see how it could be any better."

"It can be. I'm still tweaking," Luke assured her. "Plus I'll have to adapt to the new grill once it's installed. Perfection is still just out of reach."

"Not in my book," Lorelai said.

Rory nodded. "This is the best burger I've ever had."

"And she's permitted to say that out loud, because Sookie doesn't make burgers," Lorelai commented.

Luke chuckled. "Little competitive, is she?"

"Oh yeah," Lorelai confirmed.

"Can we eat here every Friday?" Rory asked. "And you and Robbie eat at the Inn every Tuesday? I like having dinner, all of us together."

Luke locked eyes with Lorelai. He saw a brief flicker of alarm in hers, and she was probably seeing the same in his. He cleared his throat but Lorelai spoke first. "We'll see, hon. It may not work out every week."

"But most weeks?" Rory persisted. "Unless something special comes up? I miss our Friday night dinner and a movie with Sookie."

Lorelai sighed. "Yeah, me too. It's hard, with Sookie's new breakfast schedule, she has to be in bed earlier most Fridays."

Somehow Rory bringing up Sookie made the request seem less alarming to Luke. "Well, you're welcome to eat here on Fridays, when it works out," he said.

Rory smiled in satisfaction, and went back to her burger. Lorelai glanced at Luke questioningly. He smiled and gave a small shrug. "Always happy to feed a friend and fellow parent."

* * *

**_Tuesday, May 12_**

"The No-Vegetable Diner."

"And hello to you too, Lorelai." Luke dropped down and sat in the grass next to her.

Lorelai smiled. "Hello, Luke. I have a new idea for your theme: The No-Vegetable Diner."

"One, my diner isn't going to have a theme. Two, no vegetables? Are you crazy?"

Luke had arrived at the Inn a little while ago. After chatting with Mia in her office, and stopping in the kitchen to say hi to Sookie, he'd been directed out the back way, down toward the converted shed where Lorelai and Rory lived. He found Lorelai sitting in the grass watching Robbie and Rory run around. They appeared to be trying to catch butterflies with their bare hands, with not much success but screams of fun.

"A no-vegetables diner is not crazy, my friend, it's brilliant," Lorelai stated. "Those seeking comfort food, and let's be honest, what better reason to come to a diner, will know right up front they don't need to worry about finding any pesky vegetables on their plate."

"No potatoes? No tomatoes on sandwiches? No coleslaw?" Luke questioned her.

"One, potatoes don't count, they're a starch. And a very yummy one at that. Two, tomatoes, who needs 'em? Three, cole slaw. That's a loss, I won't lie to you. That cole slaw you made last week was awesome. But I'm a purist: no vegetables!"

"I'm having vegetables on my menu. You like the way I make vegetables, remember?"

"Yeah, well… I still think you're just giving in to the pro-vegetable crowd, like that Mrs. Kim." Lorelai put on a pout.

"That reminds me. I have a new tofu recipe to try on Friday night. Grilled, with an Asian style marinade. Good stuff."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. I need to get cracking on developing tofu dishes for my menu. That lady is scary. She told me to have veggies and tofu on my menu, and that's what I'm doing. 'The Healthy Diner', that'll be my theme," Luke declared.

Lorelai scrambled to her feet. "I thought you said there was no theme!" she glared at Luke, who could no longer hold back his laughter.

"Gotcha," he said, as he stood up as well.

Lorelai slapped at his arm. "I knew you were joking all along."

"Yeah, right. You thought I was serious." He grinned at her. "Like I would go to all this work just to go belly up after a month."

"More like a week," Lorelai muttered. "'The healthy diner'." She shook her head. "Oh, hey," she said, switching gears, "I'm glad you found us down here. Wait, how did you find us down here?"

"It was very complicated, I asked Mia."

"You're very quippy today."

"Am I? She, and Sookie, by the way, both asked me to stay for dinner again. Rory been working behind the scenes?"

"I don't think so. I think they just like you guys in their own right, go figure."

"Go figure."

"Anyway, as I started to say, I was working on the quilt today, I want to show you a layout I think will work."

"I'm sure whatever you decide is fine."

"Yeah, but it's your parents' clothes in it so I want you to see."

"Okay," Luke agreed.

Lorelai waved to Rory, then pointed to the shed. She led Luke over, but hesitated at the door. She looked back at him. "Um, the other night, when you called your apartment a humble abode?"

"Yeah?"

"This really is humble. It's just a shed. One step up from a shack, really."

"Lorelai, it's fine. Almost every home Rachel and I have has been one or two rooms."

"Okay, well, here it is. As they say, it's not much but we call it home." Lorelai opened the door and ushered him in.

Luke looked around the one-room home. It was cozy and a little cluttered, but laid out well to maximize the space. He saw a lot of books, a double bed covered in a homey looking quilt, a small curtained area that he assumed was the bathroom, and a mini-kitchen set up in one corner.

In another corner Lorelai had a sewing area. Hung up on the wall next to her sewing machine was a large piece of what looked to be cream-colored felt, and arranged upon it were a multitude of squares. Luke went over to look more closely and saw that each square was made up of nine smaller squares.

"It's called a nine patch-they work really well when you have small amounts of lots of different fabrics," Lorelai explained. "See how each patch has two fabrics in it? One's a print from your Mom's items, and the other is a more neutral but complimentary fabric."

Luke nodded his understanding.

"I was able to get about a quarter of the squares done using your father's shirts. I matched up whatever prints from your mom's that I thought looked good with blue. I've put those squares in the middle of the quilt, so your parents are front and center."

Luke was quiet, casting his eyes over the squares, identifying the various small prints from his mom's blouses, dresses, and aprons.

Lorelai continued to explain the process. "This is my planning wall. You throw a big piece of batting up – that's the layer that goes in the middle of the quilt, the part that makes it warm and puffy, depending on how thick it is. This is on the thin side, but all of them have a natural "grab" to them so it works well as a sort of hanging workstation."

"That's really handy."

"It is. You can easily move squares around, see how different patterns look."

Lorelai picked up a stack of squares from the top of sewing machine, and began laying them out around the blue-themed center. "These other squares still have your mom's fabrics in them, but I had to get a few different solids to match up with them, since there was so much more of your mom's stuff than your dad's shirts." She laid a few more out, and Luke began to see how they would all flow together.

"This is really beautiful," he said quietly. "Amazing. I can't believe how much you've gotten done, already."

"I got on a roll once I started. I haven't done a quilt in a while, it's nice to have a specific project."

"I can't thank you enough. Liz is going to love it."

"Quilting is fun. And a little obsessive. There's not much to do here at night, once Rory goes to sleep." Lorelai pointed over to one wall, opposite a big saggy easy chair. "We have a TV, though it gets kind of crappy reception. I don't like to have it on while Rory is falling asleep, though. Then I find that once I start the quilting I get so absorbed in it, I forget to watch my shows."

Luke nodded. "I get the same way at night. I intend to just work on something for a little while, to be quiet while Robbie falls asleep, and next thing I know two hours have passed."

Lorelai smiled. "See?" she said lightly, "even more in common."

Luke smiled back, an image coming into his head of the two of of them, busy in their one-room homes with their respective sleeping child nearby.

"Mom?" They heard Rory's voice from outside.

"In here," Lorelai called, placing the last few squares onto the fabric wall. "Just showing Luke the quilt," she said, as Rory and Robbie came in.

"Daddy!" Robbie ran up to Luke and hugged him.

"Hey buddy, how was school?"

"Fun! Miss Sue the music teacher came and we sang songs about animals."

"Excellent. Did you see the quilt Lorelai is making for your Aunt Liz?"

"Yup. Pretty."

"We're staying for dinner at the Inn again."

That got his full attention. He and Rory began jumping up and down.

Lorelai sent them to get washed up behind the curtain, and Luke turned back to look at the quilt one more time.

* * *

"Progress is good, I assume?" Mia asked over dinner.

"It is," Luke agreed. "The permits came through already."

"So fast? That's wonderful."

"Yup. I think Taylor has the flu or something, so Tom said the meeting went really quickly. The board is eager to have another restaurant option in town, so that helped too."

"You must be pleased," Mia said.

"I am. Now we have a shot at having a functioning apartment by the time Rachel gets here."

"Well that explains your good mood," Lorelai said.

Luke turned to look at her. "Good mood? Am I usually in a bad mood?"

"No, but you were particularly mouthy before, making fun of my serious diner suggestions."

"Serious, ha. I just figured out how to effectively stop your _ridiculous_ suggestions, and you didn't like it."

"Hmpf," Lorelai said, and returned to her meal.

Luke glanced over at Robbie, automatically checking on his progress, then looked up just in time to catch what seemed to be a sort of knowing look between Mia and Sookie. Mia frowned slightly, looking over at Lorelai and then at Luke. When she saw he was looking right at her, she immediately smiled. "Delicious dinner as always, Sookie," she said brightly. "What herb am I tasting in the sauce for the chicken?"

"Chervil," Luke and Sookie answered simultaneously. All three women looked at Luke, clearly impressed.

He shrugged, and returned to his meal. The moment had passed, but uneasiness at Mia's possible concern about him and Lorelai lingered. He resolved to reign in the teasing, especially in front of other people. Just because he and Lorelai were comfortable in their friendship, it didn't mean others would understand.

And he didn't want there to be any misunderstandings.

* * *

**_Friday, May 15_**

"Paper towel dispensers or air dryers?" was Lorelai's opening salvo this time.

Luke laughed and shook his head, deciding to see if ignoring her would be a good strategy.

She had found him upstairs at the Fallon's house, where he had been working to prep the three bedrooms for painting while Rory and Robbie played in the backyard. "It's a serious issue Luke, for every restaurant proprietor," she was now saying.

"What is?"

"Whether to have paper towels in the bathroom or air dryers."

"Oh." Luke continued blue taping around the window.

"Luke!"

He turned to look at her. "What?"

"I'm serious. And curious - which way are you going? They've started on the bathrooms, right?"

"Right."

"So you need to decide soon, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"So what'll it be?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Haven't really thought about it. Why don't you lay out the pros and cons for me." He turned back to the taping, a process he found painstaking and annoying, and decided that actually listening to Lorelai wasn't a bad way to make it go faster.

"Well, air dryers are supposed to save paper and promote a germ-free environment, at least that's what the little sign says, but I'm not quite sure what the logic is there, I mean, how germy are paper towels that people have wiped their just-washed hands on?"

She continued, "I do think most people still like paper towels better. The blow dryer always seems to take longer, somehow, so you get impatient and walk away with your hands still a little wet, and all you want then and there is a paper towel, honestly." She paused to take a breath.

Luke stayed silent, sensing she was just warming up.

"Environmental concerns, though, can't be dismissed. Though those formulas are never as simple as we think. Like, I remember reading an article about going back to cloth diapers, to save all those landfills from plastic diapers. But it turns out, once you factor in all the washing of the diapers: the hot water, and the chemicals in the detergent, cloth diapers have an impact too. And if you use a diaper service, same thing, plus gas. So who's to say the electricity needed to run the hand dryers isn't as wasteful of natural resources as paper towels?"

"Wow. Your mind is kind of a scary place, isn't it?" Luke asked.

Lorelai burst out laughing. "Yeah, kind of."

She picked up a roll of the blue tape and began on the third and final window.

"Well," Luke said, "As compelling as the diaper comparison is, as well as your argument for giving the people what they want, I'm leaning toward the air dryers. I think the electricity they use probably doesn't add up to as much waste as the paper towels."

"Okay, good point," Lorelai conceded.

"And, in Europe they use the air dryers all over. I did hate them at first, but then I got used to them. They tend to be a little ahead of us, over there, on the environmental stuff."

"Hmm." Lorelai seemed to have lost inetrest in the discussion and concentrated on her taping, as did Luke.

"Okay, my work here is done," she announced after a little while. "With today's topic, and this window."

Luke looked over. "Wow, you are good at this painting stuff."

"I am. One week from today, buddy: you, me and Sookie, painting party at the diner."

"I remember."

"Hey, I smelled something good when I walked into the kitchen."

"Yeah, I made chili. I'm excited to have a full kitchen for the weekend."

"Plus you'd rather cook than paint."

"Well, yeah, that's true any day of the week," Luke agreed.

"Let's round up the kids, I'm starving."

"Okay." Luke placed a final piece of tape at the bottom of the sill he was working on. "Oh, hey, Lorelai, I should warn you about something."

"What?"

"Rory was asking me some questions earlier, when I was showing them around the house. About my mom dying."

"Oh," Lorelai said.

"She got a little upset, that I was only ten. Said she thought that only happened in books, so that they could tell stories about orphans having adventures. I gave her the 'it's very rare' spiel but she seemed thoughtful. She had a lot of questions about who took care of us, in particular."

Lorelai looked worried. "Yeah, that's going to make her nervous, since Chris hasn't really been around, and my parents..."

"Yeah. I mentioned Mia, and how much she helped us out, and our old family friends, Maisy and Buddy Pierce."

"Good, that's good." She sighed. "Okay, thanks, I'll try to be ready."

"Sorry..." Luke said.

"Hey, don't be ridiculous, you were just being honest. Can't dodge the tough discussions."

"Nope," he agreed.

* * *

**_Tuesday, May 19_**

"Hello, this is Luke."

"Would you say your taste is eclectic?"

"Lorelai?"

"Yes. Hi. So glad I caught you there. I'm calling from the Inn. Rory and Robbie are fine, they're here in Mia's office."

"Okay."

"So I was wondering, instead of heading out here later, would you like to meet us a little before six at Kim's Antiques?"

"Um, no?"

"Why not?"

"I thought we agreed she's too scary to seek out voluntarily."

"Oh, right, I know. Though of course that's just what I did today. I was a little early to pick up Robbie, so I popped into Kim's, just to look around. And I saw this really cool table and chairs that I thought might look good in the diner. But only if you're comfortable with going eclectic?"

"Eclectic? How so?"

"Well, in decorating it mostly just means all mixed up. No single style, blending rather than matching things. When I saw the table, I suddenly had this vision of all different tables and chairs in the diner, not trying to make them all match. Thought it might be kind of a cool look, sort of casual, and retro. Completely different from the other look I had in mind for the diner, that I was going to try and talk you into tonight. But I think this works better."

Luke chuckled. "Should I be worried that you suddenly think you're my interior decorator?" he asked.

"Nope. Not taking over, just helping out with some ideas. So, you want to meet us there in a little while?"

"Oh okay, sure. 5:45?"

"Sounds good."

* * *

Luke liked the table right away, and after some fierce bargaining with Mrs. Kim, which seemed to earn him some points with her, they settled on a decent price. Lorelai suggested they have dinner at the diner instead of at the Inn, and break in the new table, though she insisted they order pizza and salad, instead of having Luke cook on what was supposed to be his day off.

They walked across to the diner, the kids, both looking sulky, trailing behind.

"What's with them?" Luke asked.

"Well, Rory's bummed out because she hates going to Kim's when Lane's not there. Today is Bible class, remember. And I think Robbie's just bored, he didn't want to stop watering the flowers with Mia to come back into town."

"Oh. I'll just get the truck and go back to get the table and chairs, will you be you okay with the kids for a few minutes?"

"Of course."

* * *

A little while later, Lorelai and Luke sat at the table, looking at paint sample books. "So what was your original idea?" Luke asked.

Lorelai flipped through and showed him a deep navy blue, then held it up against a clean white. "I was thinking white walls, dark brown wood wainscoting, with navy blue curtains and seat cushions."

Luke smiled. "Why?"

"I know, I know. More upscale café than small-town diner. I saw that scheme in a nice restaurant in Hartford once, and I just really liked that look."

"Okay." Luke said. "And your new idea?"

"Well, let me ask you first. What colors do you like? What have you been thinking?"

Luke looked around at the walls. "Well, pretty much the same, I think, green, and some yellow. But maybe a little brighter? Warmer? " He looked back at Lorelai, who was grinning.

"What?" he asked her.

"That's exactly what I was thinking! Here look at these." She pulled out a different flipbook of colors, when all of a sudden they both heard yelling, and pounding feet on the stairs.

Rory burst into the diner, tears running down her face, holding a book. "Mommy, Mommy, Robbie made me rip my library book!"

"I did not! I did not!" Robbie was yelling as he ran in behind her.

Both children flung themselves into their respective parent's arms, sobbing hysterically.

"Whoa, whoa, what's all this?" Luke asked.

Rory buried her head in Lorelai's shoulder. "I wanna go home. I don't want to eat dinner with him. He's a baby."

At that, Robbie howled anew and burrowed into Luke's chest. Lorelai looked at Luke, who shrugged his shoulders. "Bound to happen sometime, I guess."

Lorelai chuckled, and an incensed Rory turned on her. "It's not funny! Look, he made me rip my library book, and now... now I'm going to have to pay a fine!" The last part was said as a wail, and brought a fresh round of tears.

"Shh, honey. It's okay. We'll fix it. Shh," Lorelai tried to soothe her.

Robbie's tears had subsided a bit. Luke sat him up on his lap, took a handkerchief from his back jeans pocket, and helped him wipe his face. "Tell me what happened, little guy."

Still sniffling a little, Robbie said, "Rory was being mean to me, I..."

"I was not!" Rory said indignantly. Lorelai tried to shush her, and Luke jumped in. "Rory, we're going to hear what Robbie says happened first, then you'll get a chance to tell us."

Rory looked to Lorelai for sympathy, but she just nodded, agreeing with Luke. Robbie started again. "Rory was being mean to me. She said she wanted to read her book, not play trucks."

"I'm tired of trucks," Rory interrupted petulantly. Luke looked at her sharply, and she looked down at the floor.

"So then I said we could play blocks, and she said blocks were for babies, and that made me mad, and, and…"

"And?" Luke prompted sternly.

"I got so mad, I…accidentally threw a block at her." He said this almost in a whisper.

"Accidentally?" Luke asked.

Robbie looked away. "The first one was accidentally, the second one was on purpose."

"You threw two blocks at her?"

"Yes." Now he really was whispering, and his tears were back. "But she started it! She was mean to me!"

"Okay, I heard that part already. Anything else?"

"No."

"Okay. Rory?"

Rory, who had looked stricken ever since Luke's unspoken reprimand at her for interrupting, came over to him a little hesitantly, and leaned against his side, even though she looked at Lorelai the whole time she told her account of what happened. "I just wanted to read. I don't always want to play, sometimes I just want to read. So I told him that, when he wanted to play trucks. I sat down on the couch and I was reading my book, and it was just getting good, when he asked me if I wanted to play blocks. I said no, then he threw a block and it hit my book. I said to stop it, and then he threw another one and it hit my finger and it really hurt and I jumped and that's when I ripped the page."

She sounded so heartbroken, Luke had to check a smile. "Anything else?"

"No."

Luke looked over at Lorelai, to see if she wanted to jump in. She nodded for him to go on.

"Okay, so Robbie, you said that Rory started it by being mean, and that she called blocks baby toys, and that made you mad, and you threw two blocks at her."

"Yes."

"Tell me what parts of that you're sorry for."

Robbie was silent for a minute, pouting. "I shouldn't have thrown the blocks. I'm sorry for that."

"Because no matter how angry you feel…" Luke prompted.

"Never throw things and never hit people."

"Right." Luke affirmed this long-standing rule. "Instead of throwing blocks, you could have..."

"Come to tell you that Rory was being mean to me."

Luke nodded, and turned to Rory. "And Rory, you wanted to read, and you got mad when Robbie interrupted you, and got more upset when he didn't listen, and then the second block hit you on your finger and made you rip your book."

"Yes. I've never ripped a book before."

"Okay. And what parts are _you_ sorry for?"

She sighed. "I...wasn't very nice when I told him I didn't want to play. And I'm sorry for calling blocks a baby toy. That was mean too."

Lorelai spoke up. "He's younger than you, so…"

"I should be more patient with him, and come get you if I get mad."

"Yup."

"Okay, then," Luke said. "What's next?"

"Can we try and fix the book?" Rory asked.

"Sure thing. I'll go get tape in a minute," Luke agreed.

"Pizza?" Robbie asked hesitantly, looking at Rory.

"Okay," she said.

"Because we don't change dinner plans just because of a fight," Lorelai pointed out.

"Robbie and I are going upstairs to wash up, you two can try out the new bathrooms down here if you want. But there are no air dryers yet, so take this towel."

Lorelai smiled as he handed it to her.

Once upstairs, Luke told Robbie his punishment: one day with no blocks. Robbie's lip quivered but he nodded his understanding. Luke gave him a quick kiss and hug and they finished washing up.

Back downstairs, the pizza had arrived. While the kids set the table, Lorelai came over to Luke. "Okay, so that was brilliant."

Luke shrugged.

"No, I mean really. I'm familiar with the whole hearing both sides part, but that question, 'What part are you sorry for?' That's a great question."

"That's all my mom," he said. "God, I _hated_ that question when I was little. There's no way to wiggle out of it."

"That's what makes it so smart. Good mom."

Luke nodded.

"You are an amazing dad," she added quietly.

He looked at her, startled. "Thank you, that means a lot. Coming from you."

She smiled, and picked up the pizza box. "Okay, let's eat."


End file.
